Positive
by Madison Bellows
Summary: The team thought keeping the city that never sleeps safe was the hard part, but they couldn't have been more wrong. One of them learns that a simple "yes" is much bigger than a three letter word. A Gus Broussard story.
1. Yes

Flack stood outside the car holding the bag from _Nathan's Famous_ practically drooling at the smells wafting up at him. What had stopped him short was the look on his partner's face. Gus sat staring out the window with such a downcast look on her face, Flack was sure she was about to bust into tears at any second. And Gus made it a point to never cry on duty. Flack was pretty sure her look had nothing to do with being forced by budget cutbacks to perform surveillance duties normally booted down to uniforms.

But she had been so closed lipped lately. He studied her, the furrow on her brow marring her otherwise beautiful face. Sunlight glinted off her blond hair, framing her like a portrait of the Madonna. Flack snorted, always amazed at how his foul mouthed partner could seem to innocent when she thought no one was looking. He noticed she was absently twirling the wedding band on her left hand, something he often did as well when stuck in the car on an endlessly boring task. Actually, he usually took it off and spun it on the dash; inevitably getting it stuck in the crevices between the seats and the console, causing Gus to berate him well after their shift was over.

Flack opened the door and slid in. "Sunshine you going for wrinkles with that frown?" he teased as he carefully untied the bag.

"Yeah, fat with wrinkles, what I was going for", Gus muttered acridly.

Flack slid his eyes over to her, trying to figure out how to not step on the land mine before him. Sure, maybe she had put on a couple of pounds since the wedding, but he had done the same thing. Sitting in the car for shifts on end instead of being out on the street wasn't helping things, but they were both able to pass their annuals without any problems.

"That why you made me chase down a side salad to go with your cheese dog?" Flack replied with a dimpled grin.

Gus didn't respond. Flack raised his eyebrows.

"Well, when your resolve breaks", he paused and reached into the paper bag, "I still got you an order of rings, ketchup and mustard on the side". Flack slid the order of hot and greasy onion rings in her direction.

Gus took one look and whiff of them and launched herself out the door and directly toward the open dumpster.

* * *

Bewildered, Flack stood beside Gus as she finished hurling. She straightened, accepting his handkerchief with a wry smile.

"Always the gentleman", she said with a hollow laugh looking green.

A bolt of realization hit Flack upside the head. "Um, sunshine?", he started, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah?" Gus replied, looking at the car filled with the scent of grease and hot dogs with disgusted disdain.

"How long has this been going on?"

Gus shrugged, "I musta got the flu".

"I don't think it is the flu", Flack shot back, taking in her pale but fuller face, "because I don't have it".

Gus fiddled with her hair, a sure sign of nervousness.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Flack asked, a genuine smile plastered across his face.

"Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know", Gus stammered out, her eyes filling with tears.

Flack felt waves of protectiveness and concern wash over him, not caring about the surveillance on the empty building across the street, Flack pulled Gus to his chest.

"Hey now, this isn't anything to cry about!"

"Yes it is, I mean maybe it is. I don't know anything for sure".

"What do you mean you don't know for sure? You haven't taken a test, been to a doctor?"

Gus shook her head lamely.

"Gus come on, you can't mess-" Flack cut off and shook his head.

He slid into the car and radioed dispatch to inform them that they were taking a code 7. He pulled her towards the nearest Duane Reade.

"Flack, what the hell?" Gus cried as Flack dragged her down the aisle of the store.

"Despite pretty much already knowing the answer, I think you need to see it in black and white", Flack said, pulling a box off the shelf.

"I guess so", Gus sighed as they headed toward the check out.

* * *

"How you doing in there?" Flack asked, gently knocking on the bathroom door.

"Peeing on a stick is not exactly rocket science, blue eyes", Gus called from the other side of the door, "now leave me alone".

Flack paced in the living room, his eyes taking in the photographs of the team, landing on a bridal portrait of Gus, taken at Stella's insistence in Central Park. He chuckled at the sight, Gus with her eyes rolling in trademark disdain. He picked up one of him and her in dress blues at the reception Mac threw for them after their promotion. He was standing ramrod straight, evoking the ghost of his father while Gus was lashing out in a faux punch toward Danny who had been mercilessly torturing her right outside the frame. Flack loved the apartment's décor, a mixture of modern playfulness and priceless antiques, something her attributed to Gus' New Orleans roots. He smiled slightly at the thought of a baby being raised there, amongst the colorful oil paintings and sunny afternoons as Gus banged out jazz standards on the upright piano. The study would make a perfect nursery...

He walked back to the bathroom, imaging Gus counting the subway tiles as she waited for time to be up to verify her fate.

"What's the good word, Gus?" Flack asked, bouncing on his heels in the hallway.

Gus slowly eased open the bathroom door, a look of anxious confusion on her face. She held out the stick so Flack could read the digital face clearly displaying a 'yes'.

Flack beamed, "That's just great, you are going to be an amazing mom, I just know it!"

"Great, you think this is great?" Gus questioned, her cheeks flushed.

Flack nodded, "It is great...isn't it?"

Gus shrugged, "I don't know. We were going to wait, we haven't been married that long".

"Over a year", Flack countered.

"Yeah, but we wanted to have more money saved up and what about Ireland? We were going to go to Ireland".

"But the promotions meant more money", Flack said and then leaned in and whispered, "And I don't know how to tell you this, but they let kids and pregnant women visit Ireland".

Gus punched him on the arm, "Of course this is just hilarious for you!"

She stormed past him and tossed the stick in the trash.

"Wait, don't you want to keep that?" Flack said rushing after her.

"Flack, I peed on it!"

"I know, but it's just...kinda huge".

"Yeah, like my ass is going to get", Gus moaned, feeling another wave of nausea wash over her, bracing the counter to fight it off.

Flack rustled through the cabinets, handing her a box of crackers, "Here this should help".

"You are going to be all knowing and helpful all through this aren't you?" Gus moaned, biting into a saltine with far more force than necessary.

"Of course I am, we're partners, right?"

Gus nodded and then dropped her head into her hands, "Damn it, Flack, how am I going to tell my husband?"

Flack rubbed her on her back, "Well, not how my wife told me, considering you dropped the stick in the trash. But that was kinds of gross considering I grabbed it outta box stick end first".

Gus could help but smile into her hands. "Thanks Flack, you're the best", she said, pulling him into a hug.

"No problem, sunshine", he said into the top of her head.

"You really think I will make a great mom?" she asked, pulling away and wiping her eyes.

"Yeah, no question. But Adam as a dad? I have my doubts on that one".

Gus reply was to punch him yet again.

* * *

_A/N: So did I get you wondering who was the pairing? I hope so :). Anyhow, since the Adam/Gus pairing went so well in Aphina's Devine Intervention that it carried over to Brown eyed Girl's Memories of Brooklyn, I decided I should do my own stand alone. Will be part of a larger fluffy series. Enjoy!_


	2. Results

**_A/N: Ha! I am glad I was able to get most of you!! :) Since the Adam/Gus pairing went over so well in "Devine Intervention", I figured I would take it out on my own. Enjoy...oh and also, check out the "CSI:NY fanfiction awards" under Forums and vote for your faves!_**

* * *

"I've got a plan that will take care of all of your problems", Flack said suddenly across the desk from Gus the next day.

Gus scowled at him, "What, a time machine?"

"That didn't really work, remember?" Flack smiled.

Gus put her pen down, "Fine, I'm listening".

Flack, pleased to have her full attention, put his palms flat on the surface of his desk and leaned back in his chair.

"First off, I don't think you should be as worried as you are".

Gus snorted, "Of course, because when Carmen was pregnant, you were as cool as a cucumber. Or after Thomas was born for the matter. I seem to recall a very panicked phone call the first time you had to change a diaper without her there".

"I didn't know it could go everywhere, it was like a massacre, cut me some slack!"

"OK, fine, so you are a wise old pro, tell all Yoda".

"I just think Adam is going to be excited. Beside he probably already has a hunch about it".

Gus laughed, "Are you kidding me, from what, a _podcast_? We haven't seen each other in weeks with us being on Watch 3 and him on days".

"Well you must have seen him for at least a little bit", Flack replied while waggling his eyebrows.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, would ya?"

"He hasn't seen the hurling, the mood swings, the increased rack?"

"I know you did not just comment on my breasts".

"We're all friends here".

"Besides", Gus started and then flipped through her desk calendar, "I don't think I am that-"

Flack put his finger to his lips as one of their fellow detectives came walking past.

"See, this is what I mean, I am going to be a leper, no one is going to think I can do my job", Gus hissed quietly.

Flack shook his head in amusement."You will be fine. And I think Ross is going to be beside himself, just you wait".

"Care to put money on that?"

"You should be setting a better example, Augusta".

"Screw you, Donald".

"You wanna hear my plan or not?"

"I am all ears".

* * *

"Why I am I taking her blood then if it is your hunch?" Sheldon Hawkes asked as he tapped gently on the syringe.

"Because he's a big wuss", Gus said with a smirk; hitching her thumb at her partner.

"Shut it, sunshine", Flack said with a fake glower.

"You better hope this suspect doesn't have any sense of how we work crime scenes or process evidence", Hawkes sighed; handing the vial over to Flack.

"No problem, he's in the dark about a lot of things", Flack replied with a smile, as he palmed the vial.

* * *

Flack pounded lightly on the table."Yo, Ross, need your help over here".

Adam looked up, pulling his ear buds out and pausing his music, "I'm a little swamped here, Flack, there is only one of me".

"But I need your help because you are the best".

Adam ran a hand through his curls, his body in perpetual motion."Flattery isn't working today, Flack".

Flack just stared at him until he squirmed.

Adam sighed. "Fine, what is it? I'll see what I can do".

Flack grinned and pulled an evidence bag out of his pocket, "Found this in a suspects place. I just want to know what you can tell me about it".

Adam took the envelope and studied its contents through the plastic, "Is this blood? Human blood? Freaky stuff, man".

"Was hoping you could tell me", Flack rocked on his heels.

"Well it isn't coagulating, did you find it in their fridge? What case is this?" Adam tipped the vial back and forth and held it up to the light.

"Adam, can you run it soon or not?"

Adam set the envelope down and stared at the stack of work waiting for him.

"I'll cover you and your girl's next tab at Sullivan's", Flack prodded.

Adam thought about it for a long moment, lord knows his wife could drink the both of them under the table. "In that case, I can get it done in a couple of hours".

Flack tried to not snort at having suckered the other man. "Thanks a lot, Ross, you're a good guy".

Flack waited until he reached the hallway before he started snickering to himself.

* * *

Two hours later, Flack hung up his phone and looked at Gus, "Its go time".

"Go time, seriously?" Gus said with a raised eyebrow.

"Whatever, the test results are done. You wanna go alone or do you need me to hold your hand?"

Gus shook her head, "I'm fine, you might want to have Hawkes on hand for Adam though".

Flack rubbed his chin, "Yeah, I could see him being a fainter".

"Bite me", Gus said, flouncing off toward the lab.

* * *

Gus studied Adam through the glass wall as he worked, his curls bouncing to whatever latest indie band he had discovered. She smiled as he did a little dance moved and spun around. She smiled even broader as he caught her looking at him and turned a nice shade of crimson.

"Here goes me changing your life, peanut", she muttered under her breath as she heaved open the door.

"What, Flack couldn't come back for his own test results?" Adam said with a grin.

Gus cocked her head with a laugh,"Maybe he thought it would be nice to see your wife once in a blue moon."

"Is that why you look so familiar?" Adam shot back and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hardy har har", Gus said, sliding onto one of the stools at the table.

Adam rustled through his mess, sending a stack of files to the floor. "I'll get those later", he mumbled and then came up with a triumphant look on his face and a piece of paper in his hand.

"I ran as much as I could on that sample you all found. I can tell you for sure it is human. It must have been fresh, as it wasn't coagulating and didn't appear to have any preservatives in it. Which is a little weird, but it isn't like it was a ton of blood, right? What case was this for, anyway? I don't think Flack ever said", Adam was constantly in motion as he talked, referencing the results and fiddling with other stacks of things in the lab.

"Adam, focus", Gus said calmly, having learned how to deal with her husband's ADHD tendencies.

Adam paused, "Right, results". He came back around so he was facing her and looked back at the paper in his hand. Adam ran his hand through his curls, mussing them up even further.

"I wasn't able to get DNA run on it, they are way swamped, if it was more blood and I mean a lot more, like another victim more, then maybe they could rush on it, so I was rather limited".

Gus nodded, trying not to smirk, "I am sure you did you best".

Adam grinned at her with a smile that always made her weak in the knees, "I try".

Gus resisted the urge to just burst out with the news and bury herself in his chest, the ruse had already gone this far.

"While I wasn't able to get DNA. But I did find extremely high levels of _human chorionic gonadotropin_ in the blood, so I am pretty sure this blood is from a woman, a pregnant woman. Hope that helps". Adam shrugged in the self-conscious way he had when he knew he had figured something potentially huge out.

Gus had to laugh, because he had no clue what he had stumbled upon.

"Why is that funny, do I have something one my face?" Adam ran over to the mirror.

"You're fine, hon, I swear", Gus said, sliding off the stool and coming up behind him.

She caught sight of Flack out in the hallway, peering in at them. She gave him a long glare and shooed him away.

"Good", Adam said turning back around and admiring his wife. He still couldn't believe he had bagged the hottie, figuring a girl like Gus was bound to end up with a cop or hunky firefighter and not a lab rat like him, even if he was head lab rat now.

"I think there was something Flack didn't tell you about that blood", Gus started in, suddenly feeling lightheaded.

"Well you know Flack, he doesn't always get down on the same level as we do in the lab-" Adam started on what Gus knew was going to be a long ramble.

She gently held her index finger up to his lips. "Adam, listen to me, the thing Flack didn't tell you was that the blood is mine".

Adam looked at her confused. "What was your blood doing in a suspects place?"

"Adam!" Gus protested, not wanting to fill in the blanks. It didn't help that her lunch was wanting to make a hasty exit either.

Flack, who had been watching the whole exchange, despite his partner's glare, saw Gus turning pale and then green. He had the door swung open for her as she came running out, hand clasped over her mouth.

Adam stood there bewildered, his eyes following Gus. "Flack, why was my wife's blood at a suspects place?"

"Ross, it wasn't", Flack replied shaking his head.

"Then why did you have me run..." Adam trailed off, realization sparking in his turquoise eyes, "Oh, OH! Oh my god, Gus?!" He took off after her, his sneakers squeaking on the linoleum.

"Congratulations, man!" Flack yelled after him.

"Thanks", Adam yelled over his shoulder, busting into the restroom.


	3. Good News

_**A/N: A short chapter for me. I'm a P-I-M-P: Go vote in the CSI:NY fanfic awards forum. I would love if you voted for me. NOLA Rising, What It Means, The Saints Aren't Coming, and Positive have all been nominated, along with general "Best Author" and Gus for "Best OC". Vote once, rock often!**_

* * *

"Young man, this is the women's restroom" an elderly secretary admonished Adam as he burst into behind Gus.

"My bad", Adam quipped, ducking around her to the stall where Gus was depositing her lunch with rapid expulsion.

Adam gently rubber her back and held back her hair,"I haven't seen you like this since the bad Mexican and jell-o shot debacle".

"Please kill me", Gus mewed, swiping the back of her hand over her mouth.

"Nope, I like having you around", he replied, helping her to her feet.

Gus wrinkled her nose as she studied him standing there in his plaid shirt open over some obscure band's t-shirt, his faded dungarees and chucks. He certainly looked more than big brother than a father.

Adam broke the silence first, "So you're really pregnant?"

Gus nodded.

Without missing a beat, he broke into a huge grin, "Sweet".

"Sweet?" Gus questioned.

Adam nodded, "Though how did it happen?"

"Adam! You have like three Master's degrees, please tell me I do not have to tell you about the birds and the bees".

"I meant, I didn't think we were...ya know...we hadn't really talked about it". Adam looked bashful, suddenly entranced with his wrist cuff.

Gus slumped against the wall, "I think it was the night we went upstate".

Adam grinned at the memory, "Uh huh, that was a nice night".

"Perv", Gus sighed.

Flack stuck his head in, "You two OK in here? I can only hold the restless bladders off for so long".

"We're fine Flack, at least I hope we are", Gus replied, looking the complete opposite of her nickname of sunshine.

"We're tight", Adam chimed in, pulling Gus to him with an exuberant squeeze.

"Do I even want to know what you three are up to?" Stella asked, slipping around Flack.

"We were just leaving, Stel", Gus said, shooting both of the men a glare and praying they would keep their mouths shut.

"Yep, just leaving", Adam echoed, a wide grin still plastered on his face.

* * *

"This is great, isn't this great?" Flack said, punching Adam on the arm.

Adam rubbed at the spot, scowled, but then broke into another toothy grin, "Yeah, it's awesome".

"Great, just fucking great", Gus grumbled walking slightly behind the other two.

She was curious why she wasn't as excited as them, wasn't excited as she was supposed to be. Suddenly, Gus felt like she had a whole lot more to work through then she was equipped for. Her phone buzzed, interrupting her thoughts.

"Broussard", she answered and listened to dispatch with a grimace.

Gus hurried to catch up with the two men, tapping her partner on the shoulder. "Hey Flack, we gotta go, crispy critters at Lex and 34th".

"Tasty", Flack replied, digging the keys out of his pocket.

Adam turned and looked at her, concern filling his eyes. "You be careful out there, OK?"

"I always am, Adam".

"Yeah but careful for you is like careful for me", he answered, moving forward and resting his forehead on hers.

"Don't worry, Ross, I got her back. I'll make sure she's good", Flack said, pulling Gus away.

"Great, now it is going to be all 'Augusta has two mommies' isn't it?" Gus flounced down the hall, leaving the two men staring at her in confusion.

"What the-" Adam started in.

"Don't even start, man, you will never understand women. God knows I've tried", Flack cut off, shaking his head.


	4. Take It or Leave It

_**A/N: This one is coming easier, and I don't know why. Though nothing is coming quick right now. I may or may not have access at the beach (which I am leaving for in five minutes)...but I should have writing time. Please please please go vote for the CSI:NY fanfic awards under forums if you haven't yet. It is painless and easy I promise!! For realz! :)**_

* * *

_Yeah! Just take it or leave it yeah  
Yeah! Did you get what you needed yeah  
Come on don't you know what you got to do?  
Yeah! Just take it or leave it yeah  
You gotta roll with whatever you know  
You gotta move if you don't know what to do here's the groove _

_-"Take it or leave it" Jet_

Gus let herself into the apartment much later, exhausted beyond belief and craving a long, hot shower. She pulled off her jacket and shoes and padded past the bedroom, trying to be as quiet as possible, knowing Adam had to be up in a couple of hours.

Gus was humming to herself, using far more shower gel than necessary where she heard a voice tinged with concern ask, "that water isn't too hot, is it?"

"Jesus Christ, Adam, you scared the shit out of me!" Gus exclaimed, jumping out of her own skin.

"Sorry", Adam yelped, peering behind the shower curtain, "but I was just reading that you should be careful to not get in hot tubs or take too hot of baths, so I figured maybe that meant showers too and I know you hate the cold as much as I do, which is probably why our heating bills are so high and-"

"Adam!" Gus glared at her husband, who was currently letting cold air rush into the bathroom from the open door and soaking the tile as he kept the curtain flung back.

Adam pulled the curtain back meekly, shoving his hand through his hair. "I just want you to...you know, be careful".

"I do not have a life threatening disease, peanut, I just got knocked up. Has happened a few billion times to others, you know", Gus replied and then ducked under the spray to avoid hearing his response.

Adam sighed, not sure how to handle Gus right now, or for the next few months. Or really how to handle a kid. Him a father? It didn't' seem possible. He knew that biologically it had been possible for the past fifteen or so years, but it certainly hadn't been something they had been trying for...it was good to know his equipment was in good working order, but a kid? This was kind of major. Though he had shocked himself with how excited he had been since receiving the news.

"Earth to Adam, you are sitting on my towel, hon", Gus playfully snapped her fingers in front of his face and pointed.

"I was just thinking".

"No kidding", Gus shot him a smile that caused his heart to flutter as he watched her wrap the towel around her curvy figure.

"How about we move this into the bedroom?" he suggested, tugging slightly on the top of her towel.

"I'm not the one that has to get up in..." she looked at the bathroom clock, "...two hours".

"I can sleep when I'm dead", Adam answered, moving in for a long kiss.

"Mac will kill you if you fall asleep in the lab again", Gus muttered, but responded with a heated kiss of her own, letting the towel drop to the floor.

* * *

Gus groaned when the alarm started blaring the Von Bondies an hour later. Adam remained comatose under his pillow.

"Sleep like the dead is more like it", Gus grumbled, climbing over her husband and slamming off the music. She froze when she saw the stack of books on his nightstand. "You weren't kidding about doing some reading, huh, peanut?" she sighed taking in the titles. "_What to expect when your expecting, _that's a no brainer. So is the dad's version. _My boys can swim_? Cute, sugar. _The girlfriend's guide to pregnancy_? Which one of us is the girl here, Adam?"

"Huh, wha?" Adam replied, realizing Gus was straddling him and seemed to be talking to him.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. You are already running late", Gus laughed at his unruly curls and he half jumped, half stumbled from underneath her.

"Yuk it up, Broussard", Adam groaned, attempting to untangle himself from the sheets.

"I can laugh, because I don't have to be in for a long while yet", Gus said, sticking her tongue out and snuggling back under the covers.

Adam came back in a few minutes later carrying a mug of mostly warm milk with a little coffee in one hand and Gus' buzzing phone in the other. "Here's what you get for teasing me", he said, laying both on her nightstand.

"Fabulous", Gus groaned, prying her eyes back open and taking a long swig from the mug. She made a face, "Adam, what the hell? Are you trying to poison me?"

"No, I am trying to not poison our progeny".

"Progeny, seriously?" Gus raised an eyebrow before calling Flack back.

"Sorry to bug ya, but we got movement at the Caretti building, looks like they are planning on taking a long vacation", Flack said after he answered.

"And it is something more than the uniforms can handle?" Gus whined.

"Well unless they are playing Ali Baba, surveillance says they are trying to dispose of some bodies in carpets".

Gus snorted, "How original, I'll be there in twenty".

"Movement on your case?" Adam asked.

Or at least that is what Gus thought he asked, as he was ferociously brushing his teeth. "Looks that way", Gus said, trying to find the least wrinkled suit in her pile on the chair by the closet.

"You won't try to play Supergirl, right?" he asked, pulling his toothbrush out of his mouth.

"Adam!" Gus snapped, as she hoped to find a long enough shirt to disguise the fact that she couldn't button her pants at the top.

"I just-" Adam started in, looking at her with wide and worried eyes.

Gus felt her heart melt. She moved closer to him, cradling his face in her hands. Unable to resist kissing the freckles on his nose, she then moved to give him a long squeeze. "I'll try to leave all the superhero stuff for Flack, OK?" she said into his neck.

"Promise?" Adam asked, squeezing back and taking a long inhale of her hair.

"Promise", Gus said, crossing two fingers behind her back.


	5. Squirt

_**A/N: A big thank you to everyone who voted for me in the awards forum, it is greatly appreciated! I am working hard at trying to not have a huge case of writer's block and your support has been a big help. I also have started posting an original story over at Fiction Press, the sister site to this one. Check out my bio for the link. It is slow going in posting, but lots of writing in my head, please let me know what you think of it!!**_

* * *

"I was thinking you could convert your home office into a nursery", Flack suggested taking a long swig of his coffee. They were waiting on the processing of their suspects who had been caught, literally red handed, while trying to dispose of three bodies.

Gus stared at Flack's cup longingly, having already consumed her daily recommended amount of coffee. "Would you keep your voice down, blabbermouth?" she hissed at him.

"What? It isn't like anyone is listening".

Gus growled, "Someone is always listening, Flack!" She stormed off toward the vending machines for a decaffeinated beverage.

"What's with her, PMS?" one of the uniforms asked.

Flack smirked at him, "Something like that".

"Just kill me, please", a very green Gus announced, coming out from behind a building.

"Ah yes the morning sickness, I remember it well", Flack snickered, handing her a tissue.

"Fuck you, Flack, and it is the afternoon".

"Have I mentioned what a pleasure it is having you as a partner, Broussard?" Flack gave her a wicked grin as he shut her door and walked around to the driver's side.

"Bite me and drop me off at St. Mike's, I need to take some lost time for about an hour".

Flack looked at her with wide eyes."Is everything OK, you want me to come with you?"

Gus shook her head and took a long swig of ginger ale, "I'm fine, geesh. It is just an appointment".

"You sure?"

Gus laughed at his concern, "I'm sure. And Adam is meeting me there. You know, my actual husband".

"Mac is letting him out of the lab?"

"Mac doesn't have a choice".

"He know yet?" Flack prodded.

Gus shot him a long stare."No one knows yet, and I would like to keep it that way".

"You are aware that pregnancy general involves looking pregnant right?"

"Rub it in, would ya?", Gus replied slamming the door on her way out of the car.

"Gonna be a long few months, isn't it, sunshine?" Flack called after her.

Gus shot him the bird before disappearing into the building.

* * *

Adam was already sitting in the waiting room, flipping nervously through a parenting magazine, his legs jiggling up and down.

"Hey, been here long?" Gus asked, dropping into the seat beside him, suddenly exhausted and ravenous.

Adam leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, "Nope, not too long, had to practically sneak out while Mac's back was turned. We really need to tell him soon, you know".

"You are as bad as Flack", Gus sighed, digging through her bag for a snack, "and we can tell him as soon as we have something to tell, OK?"

Adam raised his eyebrows and rubbed his neck. "Everything is going to be fine, you know that right?"

Gus nodded, though not convincingly, "Yeah, I know, it is just I am not looking forward to everyone treating me like I am made of glass, you two are bad enough and I just don't want to jinx anything and I'm still not sure..." Gus trailed off, folding the wrapper of her granola bar into a tiny square.

"You are excited about this, right? I mean, you do want this baby, don't you?" Adam looked at her with wide and longing eyes.

Gus nodded slowly, "Yeah, I mean I guess I do. A little late to be talking about this now, isn't it?"

Adam scrunched his nose, suddenly filled with fear.

"Forget I said anything, peanut. Oops, gotta pee, if they call me, stall 'em". Gus rushed out of the waiting room and down the hall, trying to remember to breath and wishing not for the first time that she could be more like every other woman in the world.

* * *

"Congratulations, you have a fetus!" the doctor said from somewhere in Gus' nether regions.

"Yea!" Adam said doing a little jig as he followed the ultrasound as though it were a football game.

"Woot", Gus replied, trying to figure out just what the hell she was looking at on the screen, "I think y'all should spring for cable, doc, because this reception is really shitty".

The Doctor looked at her confused for a moment while Adam bit his lip trying to not bust out in laughter. "Yes, well, I'll point it all out in the print outs and we can do a 3 0r 4-D scan next time. Your morning sickness should be subsiding soon, just to let you know. As should the bathroom trips".

"Thank god for the first one, though I doubt the second".

"Tiny tank", Adam teased.

"Watch it, bub", Gus warned.

"Headaches and being lightheaded are common now thanks to the increased blood volume, so don't worry about that too much", the doctor continued on, writing something in her chart, "test results came back normal, it seems like you are in for a pretty run of the mill pregnancy".

"First time I've ever done anything run of the mill", Gus muttered.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing", Adam cut in, squeezing Gus' hand.

"What are your plans for work, I understand you are a detective-"

"Don't even start telling me I can't do my job", Gus said, propping herself up on her elbows and wishing she could stand toe to toe with the doctor.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Detective Ross".

"Broussard" Adam and Gus corrected him at the same time.

"Sorry, my mistake. I believe that you are the only one who can decide how much you can take and how much you can do. I do caution that you don't push yourself beyond your limits, your body will tell you when to take a break. Listen to it and you should be fine". The doctor reached down and tore a strip off the machine, "Congratulations, mom and dad, here is your bundle of joy!"

"So we can start telling people?" Adam asked, looking once again like a puppy.

"I don't see why not. Everything is fine as far as I can tell. Sarah will schedule your next appointment and give you some literature to read over".

"Thanks doc", Gus said, swinging her legs over the side of the examination chair.

"Yeah, thanks doc", Adam echoed, looking like he was about to embrace the doctor.

"No problem, just doing my job", he replied, slipping out of the room.

"Wow, just wow" Adam said, looking at the ultrasound pictures.

"No kidding, huh?" Gus said, pulling her clothes back on.

"We made this!"

"Yep", Gus said, making a face as she struggled to button her pants, "I can't believe he called me normal".

Adam grinned and pulled her to him, "I don't think it was you he was calling normal", he teased, landing a kiss on her head.

"Jerk off", Gus said, nuzzling his neck.

"You gotta watch the language around the squirt, sweetie".

"Squirt?" Gus asked.

"Squirt", Adam said, dropping down and kissing her stomach.

"Jesus", Gus drolled and then giggled as Adam tickled her.


	6. P Or V

_**A/N: I don't know if I mentioned, but this does take place in AU confines borrowing from several stories, including Aphina's Devine series. However, I am keeping Flack's happy family from my own stories and giving him kids and having Carmen be in the private sector. Didn't want to confuse any of her readers. Also I am plugging my newest story "Playing With Fire" which can be found under the "Rescue Me" tv series. I have it on good authority that it is enjoyable even if you don't watch the show (which you should because it is fab)!!**_

* * *

Adam rubbed his hands together in excitement as they walked back into the precinct."So how are we going to tell people? Scavenger hunt through the lab? Video announcement at a staff meeting? There are just so many ways I could-"

"Hold your horses, dawlin'", Gus said, literally pulling Adam back to her by his t-shirt. "You will keep that sexy mouth of your shut for the time being, no scavenger hunts, no blogs or vlogs or precinct wide text messages".

Adam stopped, Gus' tone sinking in with full force. "Do you even want this kid?" he asked, his eyes pinning her down.

She shrugged slightly. "I think so, and not much we can do about it now you know. We talked about kids and maybe one day thinking about having them, but that was all abstract and now that it is real...I just don't know. My parent's are dead, my mom was a little off her rocker, your dad beat the crap out of you and your mom stood by and watched. How can we expect to be good parents? How can we have a kid and not screw it up?" Panic filled her voice and tears welled up in her eyes as Gus poured out the dark thoughts that had been plaguing her since the day Flack made her pee on that stick.

Adam bit his lip, not sure of what to do, but fully agreeing with her worries. He drew Gus into a tight hug and whispered into the top of her head. "You think I haven't thought those same things? But we'll do our best, our kid will turn out just fine, you'll see".

Gus pulled away from him, wiping at her eyes, hating feeling so emotional and hating even more that she was showing it at work.

"There are a million things in life to be terrified of Gus, but we have each other and we have the team, we'll figure it all out, OK?" Gus nodded, still not sure. Adam sighed. "It might be easier if more than just you, me and Flack know. People are going to figure it out sooner rather than later. I think Stella is pretty suspicious judging by her comments in the lab as of late".

"I know, I really do, Adam but if we tell than things are going to change even faster. Daddino will want to have a plan mapped out for my file and I know that plan will have me riding a desk for an excruciatingly long time. You might enjoy being couped up in the lab all day, but I hate being stuck at a desk!" Gus clenched and unclenched her fists.

"What about Flack?"

Gus creased her forehead, "What about what about Flack?" Adam made a small gesture in the air, "He's got your back, can't he talk to your Loo and figure something out?"

"I don't need Flack to fight my battles for me, Adam. I am a damn good cop and I don't work well at a desk and I am not an invalid!" Gus' eyes flashed with anger.

Adam gently squeezed both of her arms, "Hey, you don't have to convince me. How about I do a little checking on policies so you are armed with knowledge before we tell anyone?"

Gus gave a small smile, "Fine".

"Good" he said, pulling her in for another squeeze, excitement still written plainly across his face. "Would you two get a room?" one of the detectives teased walking past them.

"Bite me, Fletch", Gus growled.

"Keep that wife of yours on a tight leash, Ross, she's been extra scary as of late", Fletcher retorted.

Adam narrowed his eyes, but didn't release Gus, feeling her form stiffen in anger. "Telling would also explain your mood swings, hon", Adam whispered in her ear.

"Would it explain it if I accidentally shot him?" Gus snapped.

* * *

"So?" Flack asked, his eyes shining as Gus walked into the pit.

"So what?" Gus said, throwing her tote under the desk and unlocking her gun drawer.

"Ya know", Flack prodded, looking around to see who was listening.

Gus rolled her eyes."All systems are go. And before you start prancing around here like a complete goof ball, we are keeping things on the down low until Adam researches policies. Then you and I are going to have a sit down with Daddino to convince him I don't need to be riding a desk for the next 28 weeks, because if I get stuck in this nut house all day, I am taking you down with me". Gus raised her eyebrows at him with a warning look in her eyes.

"28 more weeks, you said?" Flack asked with trepidation.

"You can make all the jokes you want, Bub, but you will never get what this is like for me!" Gus hissed at her partner.

"I do have kids, and who you callin' Bub?" Flack retorted.

"Have kids yes, but you didn't carry them or birth them. It is easy to sit back and be fun daddy on your off time but it is a little bit harder when you are the one with a parasite! Not to mention the fact that you come from a functional and loving family and your kids actually have grandparents that are alive and worth a shit that can bail you out when you want to have a glimpse of the life you had before your had the little fuckers". Gus trailed off, winded and on the verge of tears again. She sat there, trying to catch her breath, hating herself and Adam and Flack and the whole world.

Flack got up and walked around behind her, rubbing her shoulders. "You need to calm down before you stroke out. You aren't alone in this, sunshine. You have me and Carmen, not to mention Mac and the rest of the team".

"Mac doesn't know anything about kids", Gus argued, biting back tears."

Doesn't mean he won't help out, he is family after all. We all are, OK?" Flack continued to speak calmly, remembering how things had been when his own wife was pregnant.

"First I catch ya canoodling with your husband in the lobby and now you are getting massages in the pit from your partner, what is with you today Broussard?"

"Fuck off, Fletcher", Flack and Gus yelled in unison.

"God damn Bobbsey twins", Fletcher glowered before storming off.

"I truly hate him", Gus sighed.

"Join the club", Flack replied, ruffling her hair and giving her a wink. "How about I go on a decaf coffee run?"

"You're going to drink decaf?" Gus' tone was incredulous.

A smirk spread across his face. "Figure I should know how you are suffering at least a little bit if I am going to be stuck with you still".

Gus laughed, her tears finally gone. "I love you too, Flack".

* * *

Adam was sitting on the sofa, his nose stuck in a book and his ears plugged with headphones. He was manically highlighting when Gus came in from the end of her shift and shrugged out of her jacket. "Shouldn't you be in bed, young man?" she asked, pulling an earbud out of his left ear.

"Sweet chocolate Christ!" Adam gasped, jumping from his seat.

Gus giggled, "That's a new one, I like it. Now would you tell me why it looks like you are cramming for a final?"

"I just knew you are busy with your cases and might not have time to read and stuff, so I wanted to highlight all the important parts". Adam chewed on his lip as Gus pulled the book of his lap and curled up next to him.

"That only works if you don't highlight the whole damn thing, peanut".

Adam put his arm around her, wrinkling his nose. "I may have gotten a little carried away".

"What else is new?" Gus snorted, "but really, it is 2am, shouldn't you be in bed?"

Adam chuckled slightly."See, you already sound like a mother. And weren't you not doing any more overtime this week?"

Gus rolled her eyes, "And now you sound like a dad. Night shift at the lab can't tell their ass from a hole in the ground, so Flack and I had to wait around before we could go question a suspect in the crispy critter case".

"How did it go?"

Gus grinned widely, "Well, I figure I needed to milk my moodiness before it wanes, so Flack let me play bad cop and I had the poor guy crying for his mommy before he started crying for his lawyer".

Adam kissed the top of her head, "That's my girl". He bent down and lifted her shirt before kissing her stomach, "What about squirt, how does he feel about you playing bad cop?"

Gus tugged her shirt down, elbowing him out of the way. "We need to work on this squirt thing and we don't know the sex yet, so could you stop referring to it as 'he'?"

"What's wrong with squirt? And would you prefer me to call it 'it'?"

Gus sighed, "I don't know, truly Adam. Believe me when I tell you I want to be all excited and girly and whatever about this, I really do, I just need time to adjust and figure some things out".

Adam nodded, his doubts and concerns not too far from the surface either. His childhood had been less than spectacular to say the least, and while he knew he would never hurt another person how his father hurt him, he still worried about being a good father. He knew Gus would make a great mother once she got used to the idea. He had seen her with a variety of kids from normal situations to tragic ones in the field. Gus connected with kids easily and quickly. Even if she tried to pretend that she didn't love them, kids loved her.

The pair sat in silence for a moment, each caught up in their own thoughts and worried. Gus gently cleared her throat before venturing, "So if you got a choice, not that you do peanut, what would you prefer squirt to be? A boy or a girl? And don't give me that bullshit excuse about I just want a healthy baby with all fingers and toes, because even though everyone says it, you know they are really hoping for a P or a V".

"I love how maternal you are", Adam said, nuzzling at Gus' neck.

She grunted in disdain, moving out of his grasp, "Adam!"

"There are positives to either, babe, I don't know how to answer that".

Gus raised her eyebrows."Yeah well, I hope it is a boy, girls are a hell of a lot of trouble and I can't get into all that sparkle and fluff crap".

Adam shook his head with a smile before standing."When you say it like that, I gotta hope it is a boy too, for squirt's sake". He stuck out his hand to help Gus off the sofa, "now how about we head to bed milady?"

"But I just got home, hon, and I am not really tired yet", Gus protested.

"I didn't say anything about sleeping, did I? I figure I already knocked you up so..."

"Isn't it the woman who is supposed to get all horny during pregnancy?" Gus asked as she was pulled to her feet.

"Yep, there's a whole chapter on it in a couple of the books. Very interesting reading", Adam said with a devilish smile.

Gus ran her hands through his curls, a smirk on her own face. "I am betting you did a lot of highlighting in those chapters too?"

"Shh", Adam said, lifting a finger to her lips, "so what if I did?"


	7. Out of the Bag

**Unbeta'd so mistakes (and Gus) are all mine. I know I have left y'all hanging and I am trying to get back! Figure this is a couple weeks after the last chapter...

* * *

**

Gus awoke with an incredible pressure in her bladder, her need to pee far outweighed her intense desire to stay cocooned under the covers.

"Dammit", she muttered, yawning noisily as she padded off to the bathroom.

After feeling some sense of relief and wiping the sleep from her eyes, she stumbled in the kitchen where the smells of a waiting pot of coffee called to her with its (decaf) siren song.

_Figured you and squirt would need this, you were a zombie when I left, but then again we were up late ;). Btw, Mac left a message for you to call him. -Xo A_

Gus read the note stuck to her favorite Saints mug aloud. She curled her lip in disdain as she swallowed the first gulp of hot liquid. No matter what anyone said, Gus could tell the difference between this and regular coffee.

"You better be worth it", she said, patting at her belly and then recoiling in horror as she realized she was actually starting to get a belly.

"Crap!" Gus howled as she yanked up her sleep shirt in front of the mirror, "I thought I had more time before I got fat!" she moaned, flopping back down on the bed right as the phone rang. "What?!" she snapped exasperated into the receiver.

"Bad time?" came the bemused and patient voice of her uncle.

"Just early, Mac", Gus sighed.

"It is 11", Mac answered with a chuckle, "I've been up for hours".

"You never sleep", Gus retorted.

"Because you sleep enough for the both of us", Mac smiled, waving Stella in from the doorway of his office.

"True enough. Adam said you have left a message, but seeing as it was 2am when I got home…" Gus trailed off, absently rubbing at the beginnings of her bump.

"I was just seeing if my niece wanted to have lunch before her shift", Mac replied, flipping through the results his second in command had handed him.

"Tell Gus I am inviting myself since she has been ignoring me", Stella interjected with her own smile and a toss of her hair.

Gus gave a slight snort, "Lord, so you want to tag team me and you think that is going to get me to agree to lunch?"

"See you at Café Café at 12:30", Stella yelled in the background before she left Mac's office.

Gus rolled her eyes. "See you both then, I gotta go shower", she said before hanging up.

* * *

"So how are things?" Mac asked, his tone causing Gus to squirm in her seat.

"Yeah, how are things?" Stella asked, giving the other woman a look of curiosity.

"Things, things are great, there is actually some movement in my case. We might actually be able to put those scumbags away", Gus said, absently fiddling with her lunch.

"Danny said there was great trace on those carpets", Mac said, giving her an odd look.

"It must be tough working opposite shifts though. Adam has been…" Stella trailed off, "Even odder than normal".

"Oh really?" Gus replied in what she hoped was a nonchalant manner, "Hopefully I won't come home to find him with one of those creepy dolls in my bed".

Mac raised his eyebrows. "Somehow I don't think that will be the case. Anything else new going on?" His tone was a little more pointed this time.

Gus ducked her head, trying to not blush and unable to look at either of them. "Not really."

Stella pushed this time, "Nothing, nothing at all?"

"Why would anything else be going on?" Gus choked out.

Mac remained silent but raised both his palms in the air. Stella had been pushing for him to talk to his niece since the day she found her, Adam and Flack in the bathroom.

Stella sighed; she should have guessed that Gus would not make this easy. "Gus, don't take this the wrong way but you just poured ketchup all over your salad, you have been more crank\y than normal, not to mention more clumsy and either you have been skipping going to the gym or you are pregnant".

Gus looked at them wild eyed for a moment before bursting into tears and burying her face in her hands. "I knew I looked fat" came her muffled voice.

"You are wearing Adam's cargo pants", Mac pointed out, before Stella glared at him and moved over to the other side of the table to envelop Gus in a hug.

"Honey, why are you crying? This is great news!" Stella soothed the other woman's hair, as fellow diners tried in vain to not stare.

"Is it?" Gus asked, trying to take a deep breath and hiccuping.

"Of course it is", Mac replied, somewhat dazedly after Stella gave him another icy pointed glare.

"I'm just so worried I am going to be a horrible mother!" Gus said, finally getting her sobs under control and wiping her nose on her, well Adam's, sleeve.

Mac reached over and laid his hand authoritatively on her forearm. His voice was pure steel Marine. "Listen to me, Augusta Broussard, you are going to make a great mother, no question about it. You have excelled at everything you have ever decided to put your heart in and you wouldn't have it any other way".

"And you don't want to have this talk again?" Gus replied with a sniff and a grin, patting his hand, "I think you said the same thing to me when I wanted to take a year off college because I was failing O-Chem".

"I believe it was a C", Mac said with a grin.

"Average, failing, what's the diff-" Gus started but Mac cut her off.

"Stop it right there, Gussie! You know we are all here for you and we all know you are going to make a great mother. Your husband on the other hand..." Mac trailed off, but his grin belied his tone.

Gus couldn't help but grin back. "Actually, he has been shockingly supportive and helpful".

"Adam? Adam Ross? My geek head lab rat?" Stella said with a mock look of shock on her face.

"Wonders never cease, huh?" Gus replied. She also couldn't help but notice the sense of relief that filled her with not only the cat being out of the bag, but also the support she was getting from two of the most important people in her life.

Mac gave her a look that caused her eyes to refill with tears, much happier ones this time. "We'll be with you, every step of the way, Gussie".

She bit her lip in reply and nodded, her eyes growing suddenly wide.

Stella's face flooded with concern. "What is it?"

"I'm really pregnant!" Gus blurted out loudly enough to cause the restaurant to stare.

"You really are", Stella answered with a grin and a hug.


	8. Melancholy and Excitement

**A/N: Yes, I know this is ridicu-short, but it is better than nothing, right?!

* * *

**

Gus followed Stella and Mac to the lab, having some time to kill before her shift. She was filled with a mixture of excitement and melancholy, knowing that the cat being out of the bag with her uncle came with added complications of him also being her superior, at least in theory, though usually not in practice.

She knew it meant he wouldn't hold back on her informing her Lieutenant of her impending motherhood, and she knew that meant she would be yanked out of any field work considered high risk for her or the baby. Gus also knew this meant that she was going to get little glory in the forthcoming collar of one of New York's scumbag crime bosses, even though she was sure Flack would try to put her in the limelight, whoever was going to be with him in the field would hog credit even if it wasn't due.

That filled Gus with even more melancholy, because not being with Flack out in the field shift after shift would be like being without some vital organ. She was used to him always being there for her and vice versa. Even if they would still be partners in name, someone else would have his back out there, while she was left to deal with paperwork and scut work at the precinct.

"Uh-oh, were did that excitement go?" Stella asked in the elevator.

"I was just realizing how not fun riding a desk was going to be", Gus grumbled.

"You have something against normal hours, no overtime, no getting called out in the freezing rain, no running after slime balls?" Stella teased.

"I think it is more feeling territorial about my partner", Gus admitted, refusing to look Stella in the eye.

"Please, you know Flack doesn't play well with others", Stella remarked as Mac just shook his head and smirked.

"I'll meet you both in my office", he said, slipping around the corner.

"Adam, my office, now!" Mac barked in the direction of one of the labs.

"Be nice, Uncle Mac", Gus pleaded under her breath.

* * *

Gus was seated out of the line of sight of the door, as Mac came storming in, Adam sheepishly on his heels.

"Is there anything you want to tell us?" Mac asked, raising an eyebrow. Stella quickly played along, crossing her arms over her chest.

Adam started to stammer, "No, yes, maybe, I don't know. Should there be? The city isn't trying to lay me off again are they? I mean I think I have made a lot of progress since my promotion and I've worked really hard to streamline-"

"For God's sake, Uncle Mac, it is not very dignified to have the father of my child wet his pants in your office", Gus said, rising to her feet and going to her husband's side.

"No, I suppose it isn't", Mac replied, his face breaking into a slow smile.

"No, it isn't", Adam agreed, nodding vigorously before stopping dead in his tracks. "Huh, what? Did you just say what I think you said?" he asked Gus, looking nervously excited.

Gus nodded, "Yeah they figured it out on their own and then ganged up on me at lunch".

"We did not gang up on you, Gus", Stella protested.

"Call it what you will".

Mac cleared his throat and then stuck his hand out in Adam's direction, "Congratulations, Adam. I suppose this means you will be looking for a raise at your next evaluation?"

"Er-" Adam started.

Mac, stop it!" Gus warned.

Mac chuckled, "I'll stop. For now. But you better talk to your Lieutenant today, Gussie".

"I will", Gus sighed, taking in the look of doubts on the other three faces in the room, "Really, I will. If I don't tell him Flack will".

"I guess this means I can tell the lab now, huh?" Adam asked, his eyes flashing.

"Just try to be a little subtle, would ya?" Gus said, kissing him on the cheek and heading down to the pit.

"Or at least don't cause any permanent damage", Mac warned before shooing Adam out of his office.


	9. Subtle

"I'm not really sure how a screen saver virus on all the lab computers of a stork smoking a cigar was subtle, Adam", Flack smirked after fielding a call from one pissed off Danny who couldn't get back into the results that had just come up in the Andrino case.

Adam shrugged, "Mac just said no permanent damage, Flack".

Flack rubbed at his neck, thinking the other man might be in over his head. "I would be way more worried about the pregnant woman I had to go home to over Mac Taylor there, buddy".

Adam looked up at Flack with wide and slightly frightened eyes, "You think Gus will be ticked?"

"Depends on how her meeting with the Loo goes", Flack smirked, slapping the file in his hand on the table before walking out of the lab.

"How could you not tell me?" A familiar voice threatened to bust an eardrum.

"Hi Linds", Gus sighed into the phone, slightly downtrodden after her meeting with her Lieutenant. It wasn't as if the man had told her anything new. In fact he gave her more concessions that she had planned on, she would still get to question suspects and witnesses at the precinct and would still be 'partnered' more or less with Flack, though he would have to take someone else out in the field with him in most cases. And it she was already doing most of the paperwork as it was.

"Hi, Linds? That is all you can say? I can't believe I had to hear you were pregnant from a virus on my computer!" Lindsay sounded like she was speaking through clenched teeth, but there was definite excitement beneath the hurt.

"Excuse me, a what on the computers in the lab?" Gus felt her hackles rise and noticed Flack smirking at her from across their desks.

"Adam locked down all the computers and the only image that would come up was a stork smoking a cigar with your names scrolling behind it. Danny was so pissed, he couldn't access the results that had just come up on the evidence he had spent the past two days on".

Gus put her head in her hand and sighed again,"Oh, Adam".

Flack continued to smirk, this was certainly better than paying for a movie ticket.

"He meant well, he is so excited, not that I can blame him, another baby around here is just what we need. Especially since Danny is against us having any more".

'I'll say', Gus grumbled to herself, Lindsay had wasted no time in the baby making department after their first little bundle of surprise. Danny had drawn the line at a whole starting hockey line-up, but Lindsay was still trying to wear him down.

"And because of that, we have lots of great stuff for a nursery and so many cute little clothes. Unless of course you don't like our style, which you may not, I mean Adam is a lot more punk funky. In that case, I know of the cutest stores to go to and you can get so much stuff online for cheaper and I just cannot wait to throw you a baby shower, I just saw the best invitations that look like little diapers and they are actually made out of cloth..." Lindsay was rambling so excitedly and without taking a breath that Gus had to put her on speaker phone.

Flack and Gus rolled their eyes in unison while Gus reminded her friend to breathe.

"I know, I know, but babies are just the best things ever and they grow up so fast. Remember that Gus!"

"Sure thing, Lindsay", Gus drolled. Lindsay switched directions so fast, Gus felt like she wasn't getting a chance to breathe.

"Speaking of which, when are you going to switch back to staff psych? Or are you going to go into private practice and that way you could set your own schedule and maybe not even have to have a nanny. And believe me, if you think you might need one you better start interviewing them now. You would not believe the freak shows that think they can take care of children".

Flack saw Gus' face turn red well before the words left her mouth in a pinched voice. "Excuse me, when am I what?"

"Leaving the field, I mean it is so dangerous, and I am so happy that I am in the lab full-time, it kills me that Danny is still out there, but he is such a good detective".

"And I'm not?" Gus snapped.

Flack got up from his chair and hovered over the phone.

Lindsay didn't pick up on the venom in Gus' voice and trilled on. "Well of course you are, but you are a great psychologist too and I know you wouldn't want to do anything to endanger your child!"

Gus' eyes narrowed to small slits. Flack's hand hovered over the end button on the phone, "Sorry Linds, gotta go!" he said, defusing the situation before Gus could erupt.

"Flack!" Gus admonished.

Flack shook his head, "Sorry, sunshine. I wasn't about to let you unload on Lindsay, she means well."

"She might mean well, but last time I checked women were liberated and not some throw back to June Cleaver!"

Flack just raised his eyebrows and Gus suddenly recalled that his wife had left the field for a teaching job for the safety of their children. "But Adam's not in the field! He's in the lab which, except when Mac is blowing it up, is the most safe job ever. Mostly."

"Not everyone is going to see it that way", Flack pointed out, "and it might not be fair, but most people think the mother should be the safe one".

"Stupid gender roles", Gus growled.

Flack dimpled slightly."Speaking of which, how did the meeting with Loo go?"

Gus shrugged, "About what I expected. Your inability to play well with others may have gotten me a few more concessions than normal".

"_My_ inability to play well with others?" Flack teased.

"Fuck off", Gus snarled.

Flack just laughed, "Save it for interrogation, would ya? Now whaddya say we go grab some food, I'm starving".

"What else is new?" Gus said, accepting his hand to help her up.


	10. Bundle of Soy

_**A/N: And I am finally back again. That damn real life thing keeps sucking me in! I have been so bad with the fandom in generally lately, I feel so out of the loop. But having had to attend a few baby showers as of late brought me back to Adam and Gus and their impending bundle. Enjoy!**_

_**

* * *

**_Gus rubbed at her temples and yawned, bored with the files in front of her and annoyed by the quietness of the pit. She should be happy to not be getting ribbed by her co-workers now that news of her breeding had spread like wildfire throughout the detective bureau and the crime lab. She was pretty sure her over exuberant husband had something to do with fanning the flames of the news, who else could have hacked a text message to the entire NYPD? Gus grinned slightly, shaking her head before yawning again.

"Sleeping on the clock, Broussard?" Flack said, setting a cup from the cardboard holder he was carrying on the edge of her desk.

"I wish, Flack, I can't seem to sleep no matter where I am".

"You must have taken some pointers from Mac, he never seems to sleep".

"But Mac is not busy growing toenails and fingerprints", Gus shot back, reaching for the cup and taking a long swallow from the straw.

Flack barely had time to jump back before Gus lurched forward and spit out her mouthful into their trashcan.

"What the hell?" they exclaimed in unison.

"Are you trying to freakin' poison me?" Gus growled, wiping her mouth and her seemingly constantly running nose of the offending liquid.

Flack raised his eyebrows, trying to remember if his wife had been this bi-polar when she was pregnant, but then realized he had spent most of her pregnancies seeking the solace of his formerly level headed partner. "Sunshine, it is the same mango soy shake I have been brining you every afternoon for the past three weeks, I swear".

"I hate you", Gus grumbled as Flack tried her shake, shrugged his shoulders and moved it to his desk.

"Thanks", he smirked.

"Not you, it!", she sighed pointing at her ever increasing bump.

Flack rolled his eyes, slumping into his desk chair. "No you don't you just think you do".

"I can't sleep, my nose won't stop running, I can't have coffee or booze, I am running to the bathroom every ten minutes, and I just this morning discovered weird spots on my chest and I am now officially whale like enough to be getting stretch marks", Gus ticked each point off on her fingers.

Flack immediately shot back with, "Well at least now you look pregnant instead of just fat".

***

Adam hesitated in the doorway of the pit, hearing his wife's shrill scream, and watching as she launched a coffee cup across her desk at her partner. "Er, Gussie?" he asked, as Flack deftly caught the cup and calmly placed it down on his side of the desk, out of her reach.

Gus blushed fiercely, turning slowly to face Adam with a meek smile. "Uh, hey, hon, um, I was just-"

"Practicing for the Mets opener", Flack teased, getting up to give the two some semblance of privacy, and more than happy to escape to the relative calmness of the kitchenette.

"So I was wondering what you thought about getting maternal-serum-alpha-fetoprotein test at the doctor's this week", Adam asked, looking at Gus wide eyed.

Gus blinked at him, waiting for a translation.

"Or we could do the triple screen, it is more accurate".

"Triple?" Gus asked, wondering just all this was going to entail, squeamish enough about any doctor visits or procedures. She had still not been able to get over her hospital related phobias.

Adam ran a hand over his light beard."Yeah, MSAFP, human Chorionic Gonadotropin and estriol. I mean you aren't over 35, so you don't technically need it, but it might be nice to know and that way you could avoid an amniocentesis, since I know how you are about those kind of things. I still don't get it, I mean you can look at all these horrible crime scenes but one step into a hospital and you turn into-"

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you, son", Parker said walking behind them, dropping a Boston cream on Gus' desk.

Gus pounced on the bag, enticed by its aroma and was about to take a huge bite when Adam questioned, "Are you sure you want that?" He immediately regretted opening his mouth as he saw her face crumple. "I'm not saying, I just meant...oh hell, Gus. Adam dropped down to a crouch in front of her chair.

"I'm sorry, Adam, apparently I need you to explain things more slowly to the fat dunce", Gus sniffed, nudging the bag with the donut to Flack's side, before sullenly facing her husband.

Adam reached over and handed her a box of tissues, feeling like an idiot. It didn't help to see Flack smirking at them from the doorway. ""MSAFP is just a simple blood test, they can do a triple of quadruple screen to get more accurate result on a bunch of genetic defects and stuff. I didn't figure you would want to get an amnio because of the risks and so you wouldn't have to spend a second longer in the doctor's office. As for the donuts, I'll go buy you a dozen right now, if you want them, I just know you keep having wicked heartburn. You aren't fat or a dunce, you are gorgeous and sexy and smart as hell and I am the luckiest man alive since you settled for a chump lab rat like me". Adam's turquoise eyes glistened slightly, as he swallowed the lump in his throat, beyond thankful the pit was for the most part deserted, he would deal with the teasing from Flack later.

"You aren't a chump, and that's head lab rat there, mister", Gus said, leaning forward to wrap her arms around Adam's neck, sniffing slightly into his shoulder.

"I hate to break up this Hallmark moment, but we gotta be over to the courthouse in like ten", Flack called from behind them.

"See you later?" Adam asked, helping Gus up and giving her a long hug and kissing her on top of her head.

"Should be home before you", Gus replied, wiping her eyes and smiling up at her husband.


	11. Doctor Doctor

_**A/N: Just so you know I really am still updating, and to thank you for finally getting me over 50 reviews, here's another chapter!

* * *

**_

"You should have been in two weeks ago, Mrs. Ross", the doctor chastised entering the exam room after making them wait for nearly two hours.

Gus rolled her eyes and squeezed Adam's hand, "It's Detective Broussard, and I had to cancel my last appointment because I was testifying in court and this was the soonest your little Malibu Barbie nurse could get me in".

"I have to know you are taking this seriously-" the doctor started in, but Adam cut him off.

"Look, Doc, we aren't some hillbilly teenagers who ran away to the big city when she got knocked up. We have 6 degrees between us, and know more than a little about how cruel and ill-equipped some people who procreate can be. We also tend to get a little caught up in trying to put and keep criminals in jail. And as far as I know, coming in so often in the first two trimesters for a completely healthy young woman is an invention of greedy HMO's and has nothing to do with how serious or not we may be taking this pregnancy". Adam took a deep breath, feeling a little bit shaky at standing up to the imposing man in the lab coat, but Adam was done with anyone bullying him around and he had reached the end of the rope with this dude.

The doctor looked more than a little taken aback, and seemed suddenly very interested in memorizing Gus' chart, "Perhaps you might be a better fit for Dr. White's practice, I believe she has an opening right now and her office is right across the hall..."

"Yeah, maybe we would be", Gus said, sliding off the table, holding her head high despite the gaping of her paper gown.

* * *

"So Doc Walker pissed off another set of patients, I take it?" Dr. White's nurse said with a chuckle as she led them into a much more well appointed exam room, "Dr. White will be right in".

"I swear that man should just retire", the attractive and youngish Dr. Sabrina White said, as she got Gus settled into the table.

"Retiring might be a good start", Gus muttered.

Adam chuckled from his place at her shoulder, eyes darting around the room.

"You both work for NYPD?" the doctor asked, more cordial than probing. Gus and Adam nodded, hoping they weren't in for another lecture. "Must make for some interesting dinner conversation", she replied.

"Look, Doctor-" Gus started, not wanting Adam to go off again.

"You can call me Sabrina, though my parents would have kittens if they knew I told my patients that, seeing as they helped with all my tuition", the woman smiled, as she finished the vaginal exam and wheeled over the small ultrasound machine.

"Sabrina, then, um, I know I have a rather nontraditional career, but I am damn good at it and-"

"You are preaching to the choir, it is rarer and rarer that I get two loving people with both a stable relationship and careers who aren't looking for a designer baby. I am sure you both are extremely busy, and I will keep your visits as short as possible, though they will have to increase at about week 28. Just try to do most of what I say, and we shouldn't have any problems. Fundal measurement seems normal, everything looks good, the results from the quad screen should be back shortly, but you can login to my patient system to see them, you will only need to come back in if something comes up positive, and given your family histories, I don't see that happening. Now how about we see how your baby is doing in there?"

Gus realized that as Sabrina had been talking, she had been readying the ultrasound, but her warmed tools and gel made it impossible to tell.

"Before I flip this on and we get a surprise, have you two decided if you want to know the sex?"

"Yes", Adam quipped as Gus said, "No".

Sabrina White laughed, hesitating over the button.

"You hate surprises, Gussie", Adam remarked.

"But I'm not ready", Gus gulped.

The doctor laughed, tossing her brunette ponytail over her shoulder, "You still have about 22 weeks to get ready, detective, but I guarantee the sex will be the same".

Gus nodded at Adam and he made a flicking motion at the doctor, who turned on the machine. The 3-D image that filled the screen rendered them both silent, though Adam moved close enough that his nose almost left a print on the screen.

"Er, peanut, you're sorta make a better door than a window", Gus said.

"Whoa", Adam replied backing away.

"Holy shit, it's a baby", Gus exclaimed, taking in the image.

"Well, I had hoped so", Adam said, squeezing her on the shoulder, leaning in to touch his head to hers.

"Too bad it is mooning us", Gus choked out with laughter.

"Looks like it isn't ready to let us know either", the doctor exclaimed with a smile, "I'll give you some time to put yourself back together, and then you can either come to my office if you have any questions or make your next appointment with the nurse, at which point you will be over halfway there!"


	12. Beckham

_**A/N: Another treat, though back to the real world, which has been kicking my butt...**_

_**

* * *

**_"Oh no you did not!", Gus roared at the suspect she and Flack had been grilling for the better part of the day, after Flack had hauled him in from his hiding place in a crack house. It was bad enough she was cranky from lack of sleep or that it felt as though she had been swallowing fire for the better part of the past couple of weeks or that her stomach had popped out even more overnight and now none of the maternity clothes she had borrowed from the much more petite Lindsay would fit, but now this smelly, sack of shit perp had just called her Moby Dick.

Flack held her back before she could lunge over the table. He hastily moved her out the door of the small room and went back to tower over the suspect. "Listen, asshole, my partner has been on desk duty for the last few weeks, and she really misses being able to crack a few heads out in the field, and has no one ever informed you to not fuck with a pregnant woman?"

"Yeah, man, my old lady, and I didn't mean no offense, she's pretty hot and all for a fa-" the man clamped his mouth shut as Flack brought his fist down on the table.

Flack slammed the chair across the table as he slid into it."OK, Ricky, this is how we are going to play this: you are not going to open that pie hole of yours unless it is to tell me exactly where you stashed the knife that you used to stab your drug dealer 22 times. Frankly, I am happy another scumbag is off the streets, but I would really like to make it a twofer".

Gus smiled broadly at Flack as he shoved the now admitted murderer at the uniform to take down to lock up. "Nice work", she wheezed, furrowing her brow.

"You OK, sunshine?" Flack asked, moving quickly to her side.

"Yeah...just...that's weird", Gus said.

Flack looked at her, his eyes growing wide, "Do I need to call someone?"

Gus shook her head, her confusion turning into joy as she snatched Flack's hand and placed it on her ever growing bump.

Flack gave her an odd look and then broke into a dimpled grin, "Hey, your monster's moving".

"Flack, I know you just didn't call my baby a monster".

"Well, I have met the father", Flack shot back.

Oh bite me, blue eyes", Gus laughed.

"Oh look, Flack's feeling up his partner again", Thatcher snarled as he passed by in the hallway.

"Screw off", Gus yelled after him, Flack holding firmly on to her elbow.

"Whatever, I just hope the poor kid knows who its father is after it comes out", the other detective taunted.

"Shut your trap now, before I shut it for you", came their Lieutenant's voice, clear from inside his office.

"Saved by the Loo", Flack grumbled.

"It's fine", Gus said, giddy again after feeling another flit of butterflies in her uterus, "you want to go grab some dinner, my treat?"

Flack shook his head, "Nah, I gotta run home, the flu is reigning supreme on the Flack homestead, looked like World War III when I left this morning, never have been so happy to get a 4am call out".

Gus made a face, "Well, er, try to have fun with that. I'm gonna go see if Adam can escape from the lab then".

"See ya, sunshine", Flack called over his shoulder, thinking despite the germs waiting to assault him at home, it had been a pretty good day.

* * *

"So he called you a whale and you let him live?" Adam asked incredulously as Gus leaned against him on the couch later that evening.

Gus nodded, "Yeah. Last thing I need is IAB on my ass".

"Can I try again?" Adam asked a moment later, gesturing to her bump. He was trying to not be jealous that Flack had felt his baby move, but he hadn't yet.

Gus rolled her eyes, "Be my guest, Peanut, but you keep rubbing on my stomach, you're gonna have to also rub somewhere else". She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Adam blanched slightly. "Are you sure it is safe?"

"Adam, come on! You have read how many books? I don't have to tell you it isn't going to reach out and grab you. Why are men so stupid?" She paused, considering something for a moment, "Unless you think I am a whale too?" She shot up, or as fast as she could, hands on her hips, face flushed.

Adam stood slowly, calmly placing a hand on each of her shoulders, "I am not going through this again, Gussie. You are not fat, you are pregnant! You have been exercising more since I knocked you up than before. You don't have cankles, you will lose the weight, you aren't going to be some bon bon eating housewife and I am still going to love you even if those stretch marks don't go away. And yes, I will try to cook up something in the lab to fix them for you if they don't. Plus," he paused, sniffing at her hair, "you smell like meat, which I find incredibly hot".

"You're the one that suggested burgers", Gus said, circling her arms around his neck and leaning in for a kiss, feeling like the luckiest girl in the greatest city in the world.

Adam responded with encircling her and deepening the kiss, as much as he could with the bump in between them. He was about to suggest they move things to the bedroom when he suddenly felt something different around his belt line, and he was pretty sure he would have noticed sooner if he had grown another appendage down there.

"What?" Gus asked, huskily, her eyes hazy with passion. She had read all about this possible wonderful benefit of pregnancy, but she hadn't been ready for the constant waves of lust battering her.

Adam dropped to his knees, his head resting against her bump.

"A little lower would be nicer", Gus all but growled, panting.

"I think we may have a future soccer player", Adam exclaimed, his eyes dancing with delight. "Hey in there, just make sure you get a good agent, and always read your contracts before you sign, I mean that's how I got caught up in working all this overtime without extra pay until Mac sorted things out. Mac's a good guy, and I'm not just saying that because he is my uncle-in-law, he's a great boss. I don't know how he will do as a grandfather type, I mean technically he will just be your great-uncle". Adam became aware of Gus yanking on his curls. "Ow, hey, what?" he said climbing back to his feet.

"Whenever you are done, shug, but either you are taking me to bed, or I am taking care of things myself", Gus said, a wicked glint in her eye.

Adam's eyes widened, "Maybe it wasn't the baby's safety I was worried about, maybe it was mine", he gulped as his wife half dragged him to the bedroom.


	13. Pie in the Sky

_**A/N: Perhaps I have been influenced by recent show events, but I really want to wrap this story up...my muse is dragging me other places!

* * *

**_

"Everything still looks good. I could do another ultrasound, but I don't really see a reason to. Please tell me you don't want one of those keepsake ones." Dr. White wasn't really asking the couple seated in her exam room.

"To be honest, doc, they kind of squick me out", Gus admitted.

"Says the big bad New York homicide detective", Adam joked, rubbing her back.

"It just isn't natural, to be seeing that much of your insides", Gus protested.

Sabrina White laughed as she looked over the chart. "You'll need to block out a good chunk of time for your next visit, as we'll need to do the glucose challenge screening".

Adam nodded knowingly, and Gus looked a little worried. Perhaps she should have been reading all those books Adam had bought, but he had been so good about just telling her what she needed to know, and she had been busy trying to keep Flack's files from going to hell and prepping cases for trial and going to court on behalf of most of her department since she had been on desk duty. And to be honest, well, she just felt that ignorance was a little bit of bliss for the most part. It still freaked her out to have this thing in her, feeding off her, living in her.

"It's the sugary drink one with the blood tests", Adam explained, seeing her brow crease.

Gus sighed heavily."Oh joy".

"You may also want to think about starting on your birth plan, there's a lot to sort out", Dr. White added gently, hoping to not overwhelm the other woman anymore than she already appeared to be.

"The fun never stops", Gus griped, but she had a smile on her face. She was starting to get excited more often than terrified, Adam's never ending exuberance helped with that. Even with his incessant en-utero musical education he and his ipod were giving the baby. She had been woken up that morning by the strains of Joy Division being pumped into her belly, with the accompanying _Behind The Music_ style biography recited by her darling husband. She snickered at the recent memory and then looked at the clock, "I hate to rush this along, but there are more bad guys than hours in a day".

"Sure, I'll have my nurse give you some paperwork and brochures of birthing centers to look at, and I will see you at 26 weeks", Dr. White replied, quickly heading out the door.

* * *

"Could you take these down to the evidence locker for me, Parker?" Gus asked, pointing to the boxes stacked next to her desk.

"If you can't do your job, maybe you shouldn't be-" Fletcher snipped, passing by.

"I would not finish that statement, buddy boy", Parker quipped, heaving the boxes up over his own formidable belly, "if my wife taught me anything, it was leave the toilet seat down and don't piss off a pregnant gal".

Gus snickered as Fletcher rolled his eyes, "Couldn't you get your lapdog, I mean partner to do it?"

"Fletcher, I would hate for you to have to admit you got your ass kicked by a pregnant woman", Gus drolled, as she leaned back in her office chair, trying to not tip it over. A wide grin spread across her face as a familiar figure hesitantly entered the pit.

"They won't bite, sugar, I promise", Gus said, as Adam carefully made his way over to her desk. "I thought you weren't on until 3", Gus said, as Adam helped her up.

He grinned at her, as he patted her bump, "I'm not, but I wanted to see if the two of you could grab a late lunch, my spies told me you hadn't eaten yet".

"Just how many spies do you have? Flack's been out on a call all day", Gus remarked, cocking a hand on her seemingly ever widening hip.

Adam shook his head, "I shall never tell, and yeah, don't expect to see Flack anytime soon, rough case, triple homicide, little evidence, no suspects".

"Barrel of monkeys, huh? I think Squirt and I could be convinced to grab something to eat".

"Good, because I was thinking we could talk about your birth plan", Adam said, slightly abashed, suddenly intrigued with the pattern on his sneakers.

"In that case, I think I have some paperwork to catch up on", Gus sighed.

"Gus!" Adam chastised, "I thought you had moved on to the excited to have my baby portion of this thing", he waved his arms around wildly.

Gus chewed on her lip, not wanting to misspeak. "It is hard to get excited about pushing something the size of a watermelon out of me, Adam, I am excited about having a child with you, but I just wish I could skip over the whole giving birth thing". Gus shuddered slightly when giving it more detailed thought.

Adam caught the look of fear in her green eyes and shrugged it off, "OK, fine, we have time, let's just go grab a pie".

"Fine, but I get to pick the toppings", Gus replied, reaching for her bag.

Adam groaned, "Just not the anchovy, pineapple, goat cheese combo again, please, Gussie?"

* * *

"Ya know, I kind of like having you stuck here doing all the paperwork", Flack remarked from across their desks, long legs kicked up, hands behind his head.

"And how is that different from always, blue eyes?" Gus sighed, standing up to rub her increasingly aching back.

"How's it going, you having any of those brass hickey things yet?"

Gus couldn't help but laugh, as she lumbered over to get a bottle of water from the kitchenette. "Braxton Hicks contractions, nope, not yet. At least no more of a pain in the ass than everything else".

"You only got like what...15 weeks left?" Flack inquired, hopping up so he could reach down into the fridge to get the water for Gus, so she didn't have to listen to all the jerkwads in the pit make comments as she struggled to right herself.

"14 weeks, 3 days, and a few hours give or take. Not that I am counting", Gus pulled her hair back into a ponytail, her belly straining against her shirt.

"Good Lord Broussard, how many kids you got in there", one of the detectives called in passing.

"Why can't I be one of those women that don't even look pregnant until they go into labor?"

"Because then people wouldn't give up their seat on the subway for you", Flack suggested.

"Yes, because that happens often enough to make this all worth it", Gus said, rubbing at her stomach, "can you cover for me tomorrow? I gotta spend an inordinate amount of time drinking some kool-aid or some crap so they can test my sugars".

"What are you, 80? But yeah, I got your back".

"Thanks, Flack".

* * *

"Hmmn", Dr. White said, looking at the chart in her hand.

"Hmmn, what exactly does hmmn mean Doc?" Adam asked, trying to peer over the chart.

Gus squeezed his hand, trying to not be alarmed.

Dr. White looked up and smiled, "Nothing to be too alarmed over, it is just that your glucose challenge screening came back a little high".

"I am assuming that is a bad thing?" Gus asked, squeezing Adam's hand a little harder.

"It just means you might be at a higher risk for gestational diabetes, and I am going to order a tolerance test. This means you will have to fast for the rest of today and that you'll need to be at the hospital bright and early tomorrow morning".

"Hospital?" Gus asked, her voice raising and her hand gripping Adam's so tightly he cringed as his tried to extricate his palm from hers.


	14. Applications and Misinformation

_**A/N: My muse wants this bun done! Thanks for those of you R&Ring, and there very well may be another Adam/newOC fic in the works...**_

* * *

"Whip out that birth plan, hon, because I can tell you I am sure as hell not having Squirt here!" Gus protested after spending far too long in the waiting room of Lenox Hill.

"Got it, no to Lenox Hill", Adam said, making a note on his iPhone.

"Tell me you do not have an app for that", Gus groaned.

"Maybe?" Adam squeaked out, turning red.

"I guess at least I know it will always be with us, huh?" Gus smiled, "It's sweet, it really is. I am lucky you are so on top of things". Gus nuzzled in to Adam's shoulder, inhaling the scent of him, trying to ignore the smells of the hospital that were currently driving her mad. She would rather be at the scene of a floater than in this stupid hospital.

"Mrs. Ross?" The receptionist called to them, hopefully with the test results.

Gus rolled her eyes, but tugged at Adam's sleeve as he was about to set the woman straight, "Don't confuse them, sugar, or we might never get out of here."

Adam nodded, and settled back into his chair, as Gus made her way to the desk.

After a long moment of conferring, where Adam almost panicked about four hundred time, Gus finally turned back from talking with the doctor on duty.

"Let's blow this joint!" Gus exclaimed, a disgusted look on her face as she made her way back to the chairs.

"We good?" Adam had a very concerned and slightly distraught look on his face. Anxious by nature, he still couldn't entirely get over the fact that he was bringing another person into this world. Of course, he still couldn't get over the fact that Gus had chosen him over the cop and firefighter suitors she had hanging on her every word.

Gus nodded, "Yep, false positive, my sugars are fine, must have spent too much time with you before the first test", she teased, leaning in to kiss him.

Adam blushed, but smiled. "I love you, Gussie".

"Backatcha", Gus said before sighing heavily, "You can wait out front, I gotta go pee. Again".

Adam chuckled as he walked toward the exit, feeling on top of the world.

* * *

"Look, would you freakin' look at this?" Gus demanded of her partner.

Flack's head shot up, expecting her to be having some eureka moment that would solve one of their open cases. He gave her a long stare when he realized she was studying her feet. "What is it I am supposed to be looking at, other than the 7 open cases I currently have on my desk?"

"Cankles", Gus grumbled, "I have acquired cankles. Something else to add to the fact that I could be harpooned at any minute and that squirt is keeping me up all night."

Flack shook his head. "First, I don't know what cankles are. Second, there aren't a lot of harpoons of the streets of New York, Broussard. And third, you are a night owl, when is the last time you actually tried to sleep at night?"

Gus shrugged, slightly exasperated and then ticked off her replies on her fingers, "It is where your ankle disappears into your calf, it's that porta-whatever thing. We have seen way more interesting things on the streets of New York than harpoons, remember that guy with the whale hair? And Adam is making me try to sleep".

"I think you may have finally acquired mommy brain, Gus. Its portmanteau, baleen, and I want to see Adam even attempt to make you do anything".

Gus' mouth dropped open in shock, "Shit, when did you become smarter than me?"

"Its that growing eyebrows thing, Gus, steals all your brainpower", Flack teased, tugging gently on her ponytail.

"Good thing men can't get pregnant than, Blue, because you need all the brainpower you can get", Gus teased back.

"I'm not the one who just said whale hair", Flack pointed out.

"It isn't nice to fool with a pregnant woman", Gus sighed.

"Or very smart, Junior", Parker called from across the way.

"See?" Gus exclaimed after sticking her tongue out.

* * *

"Well that's interesting", Dr. White said after taking the fundal measurement at Gus' 28 week check up.

"Interesting, I am not sure I am a fan of interesting", Gus said, sitting up abruptly. She felt suddenly alone and frightened. She wished she hadn't told Adam to not worry about coming with her. He had been so swamped at the lab that she felt horrible making him leave the piles of work he had just to hold her hand.

Dr. White flipped through her chart, making a clucking noise.

"Um, Doc, a little information might be kind of nice right about now", Gus interjected.

Sabrina rubbed at her temples."Well, how do I put this? Other than Harold is an idiot who shouldn't be practicing medicine".

"What, am I having a monkey or something?" Gus said, but the joke fell flat, deflated by the panic rising in her voice.

Sabrina picked up on it right away, and rushed to put her patient as ease, "It is nothing to worry about, really, I'll do another ultrasound to confirm-"

Gus cut her off, a horrible thought storming into her head. "Oh God! Please don't tell me you think it is twins, because I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I am having ONE baby, and if it is two then we would have to move and I really love our apartment and I also had dreams of having some semblance of my own identity, but that would be shot to hell-"

Sabrina held up a palm to cut off the rambling woman. Gus realized she had been going off like Adam, thinking maybe that old adage was true. "Just calm down and lie back", Sabrina said, calmly. She rolled over the portable machine and tray of warmed gel.

Gus lay back, trying to calm the chaos raging in her head, wanting some anchor in the storm of emotions she was currently feeling. She gave herself a quick pep talk, warning this sniveling girl that she was a cop, for Christ's sake, and there was no news the doctor could possibly give her that she couldn't handle. Gus knew the baby was healthy, at least if the constant kicking of her insides was any indication. Despite that, Gus couldn't force herself to open her eyes to look at the screen.

"Yep, idiot", Sabrina said, and then laughing at her patient, "you can open your eyes, but only if you want to know the sex".

Gus hesitated, she wasn't really one for surprises, if her endless to-do lists with a backup plan to the backup plan were any indication. Finally, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Immediately, she narrowed her eyes again, propped herself up on her elbows, and cocked her head to the side. "Huh", she said with a spreading smile.

"Yep", Sabrina said, "but that wasn't my reason for wanting to do this. Seems your original due date was a tad off".

"Define a tad", Gus said, raising her eyebrows.

"Judging by the lung and eye maturity, combined with your fundal measurement, I would estimate you are closer to 31 weeks".

"That means I only have nine weeks to go?" Gus squeaked out finally, after catching her breath.

"Hope you have your nursery in order", Dr. White smiled.

Recalling the disaster area that was their home office/nursery, Gus had to fight back tears.

"I'll see you in two weeks, and congratulations, detective, at least there is a reason you felt huge".

"Small comfort", Gus muttered, sliding off the table.


	15. Nest in the City

_**A/N: First off, a HUGE thank you to those who nominated/voted for me in the CSI:NY Fanfic Awards 2009, I am so greatful for my wins, placements, and even just being considered. Another BIG thanks to Shabbs for getting it together. I also wanted to apologize for my hiatus, but we had a burglary that I have been dealing with for the past couple of weeks. A note to my faithful readers, I am off for the summer and hopefully that will mean some mad updating (and hopefully some original fic)!

* * *

**_

"What the-" Gus cursed as she attempted to open the door to the apartment, only to have it slam into something. She shoved at the door, wincing as she heard a huge crash.

"Crap!" she heard Adam squeal, and was that Flack laughing at him? Gus' suspicion was confirmed when Flack swung open the door. Adam was picking up debris behind him. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Lindsay perched at the dining room table with a sewing machine purring away. "Uh, anyone wanna clue me in?" she asked as Stella slipped out from the nursery to be, a roller in her hand.

"Oh, hey, Gus", Stella exclaimed, trying to hide the roller behind her, "Hey Mac, Gus is back".

Gus did a quick head count."Danny and Hakwes at the lab?" she asked, a bemused smile on her face.

"Danny is home with the kids", Lindsay supplied.

"Hawkes is at the lab", Mac called from behind the closed doors at the other end of the living room.

"Y'all planning on letting me see what you have been up to in my apartment?" Gus asked, crossing her hands over her chest and resting them on her bump.

"She hasn't gained any patience since getting pregnant has she?" Mac smirked, coming out from behind the doors.

"Not a bit", Adam teased, coming behind her and wrapping his arms around her, "you're back early".

"You should have know better than to send me shopping, Adam, you know I hate it", Gus groaned.

"Something I will never understand", Stella chuckled, pulling her hair down.

"Alright, alright, the only way to get her out of here since she can't drink is the promise of food, whaddya say, sunshine, my treat?" Flack suggested, his frame conveniently hiding whatever Lindsay was working on at the table.

"Well if Mr. Cheapo is paying..." Gus drawled.

Adam gave her a squeeze before dropping down to her belly, "Eat extra since Uncle Don is paying, Squirt".

"On second thought", Flack quipped, but still moved Gus toward the door.

* * *

"So how are you feeling, really?" Flack asked, taking in Gus' peaked appearance.

"Exhausted, huge, waddling like a duck, not thrilled about having to hustle my time line up almost a month. Better than finding out it was twins, I suppose". Gus played with her food.

"Anything else?" Flack prodded, catching something in her eyes.

Gus chewed on her lip for a long moment before answering. "I'm terrified, seriously, I don't know what to do with a baby, I didn't even play with dolls when I was a kid!"

Flack laughed, "Somehow that does not surprise me, but you'll be fine. And if not, Adam has enough excitement for you both".

Gus sighed, "I know, but isn't that weird, shouldn't it be the other way around?"

Flack squeezed arm across the table. "Don't be questioning the way things should be, Gus, ya gotta learn to accept the way things are. Besides, once you pop that monster outta you, you'll love it like you didn't know ya could love".

"I'm gonna hold you to that, Don", Gus said, spearing a French fry covered in gravy, "And also, you tell Adam what I am eating, and I will kill you. He's got me on all this rabbit food, it is unnatural. Of course, he isn't eating it".

Flack snorted, "Yeah, I was going to make a baby fat comment but I didn't want him going all wacko on dieting again".

Gus laughed, long and hard, praying she wasn't going to wet herself.

After a moment of both of them eating in silence, Flack looked at her for a long beat, "You're gonna make a great mother, you do know that, right?"

"Yes, because cops are known for their maternal instincts", Gus rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, sunshine, I see how you get on any scene where a child is involved, why do you think all the guys drag you into any case involving a tot?"

"Because I was trained as a therapist?" Gus interjected.

"Roll with it, would you?" Flack looked exasperated, "And you're one of the most loyal people I know, and my kids love you, and not just because you spoil the hell out of them. Plus, when you aren't knocking skulls together, you are pretty level headed and logical".

"Did Adam ask you to talk to me?" Gus asked, feeling a flush creep into her face as Flack went on.

"He may have mentioned something about you mumbling in your sleep, poor guy can't catch a wink", Flack said, "but I am serious, you are going to make a great mom and I am going to miss you".

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise, Flack, just because I am having a kid, doesn't mean I am going to be lost in mommy-land", Gus protested.

Flack rubbed his neck, "I hope not. Just how long until I have to start doing my own paperwork?"

Gus smiled,"Are you kidding? I plan on giving birth in the pit, just to piss of Fletcher!"

Flack made a face, "Ain't too sanitary in the pit".

"Ha ha, but seriously, I talked with the doctor and the midwife, and I plan on putting off going in as long as possible, at least I don't have to go to a", Gus shuddered, "hospital".

Flack shook his head, "Yeah, Adam emailed me your plan and about twelve different ways to get to the Birthing Center".

"No shit, he probably is working on permits to shut down the streets between the precinct and there for the week of my due date".

"I wouldn't put it past him", Flack agreed.

Gus paused for a moment, "Thanks for the pep talk, Flack, I am sorry I keep needing them".

"Nothing to apologize for, it is sort of a major life changing thing you are going through", Flack said.

"Couldn't ask for better people to help me through it either".

* * *

"Stop trying to peek, Gus", Flack chastised her as he covered her eyes while walking behind her into the apartment after the 'all clear' from Adam.

"I got her", Adam said, leading Gus further into the apartment, trying to not laugh at her waddle. He did find her duck walk endearing, but it was pretty hilarious looking. Lindsay shot him a look, so he bit his cheek and led her over to the doors Mac was waiting to open. "You ready?"

"What do you think?" Gus snapped, the anticipation killing her.

Adam dropped his palms from her eyes, and encircled her waist with his arm, he nodded at Mac, who flung open the doors with excitement one normally did not see on the reserved man. Adam guessed that even though there had been babies born on the team and Mac had been named godfather to three of them, this one was going to hold an extra special place in his heart.

Gus stopped mid-waddle and gasped as she took in the office turned nursery. "Holy crap!" she exclaimed.

"I take it you like it?" Stella said.

Gus nodded, speechless. She took in the chocolate brown walls of the formally accidentally fuchsia (it was supposed to be red) office, her eyes settling on the bright lime green accent wall, and the cast iron crib settled against it.

"Is that?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

Mac nodded, "A reproduction of the one you and your mother and Claire slept in. I found some old photographs". Mac looked a little misty himself, as Adam moved aside to make room for the older man to hug his niece.

"It was bitch to get in here, took half of the guys from homicide", Flack interjected.

"How long has it been in here?" Gus asked, trying to remember the last time she had been in the room, as the mere thought of sorting through the chaos usually exhausted her.

"About a week, in pieces though", Adam replied.

Gus was still trying to summon up words as she took in Lindsay's handiwork on the linens, the retro print giving the room a decidedly cool vibe. She was betting Adam had a hand in that. "Linds, I can't believe you made this!", Gus exclaimed, fingering the fabric.

"I've had a little practice, and it's all organic", Lindsay beamed with pride.

The former brown bookcases had received the same lime paint on their interior and had been reclaimed as storage with wicker and cloth baskets lining the shelves. The walls were covered with a combination vintage and graphic prints, which Stella reported to have had too much fun finding either on line or through one of the local design colleges; the center of the floor was covered with carpet tiles in coordinating colors. A vibrantly patterned egg chair was nestled in the corner with a footstool, next to a collapsible changing table Gus had been eying for weeks.

"It's perfect", Gus finally breathed, feeling a little lightheaded.

Adam led her over to the chair, seeing her sway slightly, pushing a collection of ugly dolls out of the way.

"Where's all our stuff?" Gus wondered after a moment.

Flack slowly raised his hand, "We had some basement space we weren't using".

"Thank God you moved out to the suburbs, huh?" Gus said, accepting a glass of water from Stella.

"Yeah, for all the hell you gave me for it", Flack fake growled.

A knock sounded on the door, Lindsay looked at the clock with a smile on her face as Mac went to go answer the visitor.

"Heard someone might need a couple of things", Hawkes voice called out from the entryway.

Gus struggled, trying to stand, not sure if the egg chair was the best idea.

Stella pushed back down on her shoulder, "Oh no you don't".

Hawkes came into the office, carrying a large wicker hamper, with Danny close behind.

"What the hell is this?" Gus asked, furrowing her brow.

"I believe you said, what was it?" Flack gestured, "you would rather have the kid through your nose than have one of those idiotic baby showers for morons who want to guess how many jellybeans are in the bottle".

Gus looked at him suspiciously, and then at Adam, who was hovering hesitantly in the doorway. "Adam?" she asked.

"Well, the team decided to just haul everything in and skip the chocolate in the diaper thing and head to Sullivan's", Adam ran his hand through his curls, hoping he had made the right call. Gus was far from a girly girl, but maybe she did want to do a couple of things traditionally. A wide grin spread across his wife's face, much to his relief.

"Oh thank god, I didn't know how I was going to manage faking it through all those ridiculous games", Gus shuddered at the thought.

"Couldn't get you out of the secretary's shower though, sorry", Flack said, not looking a bit apologetic.

"You are evil", Gus said, narrowing her eyes at him.

Stella and Lindsay pulled out the baskets on the shelves, revealing perfectly washed and folded baby clothing, blankets, and other accouterments. Hawkes opened the hamper, revealing an assortment of just about everything new parents would need.

"And we know you two are a little tree-hugging, so as much of it that can be eco-friendly is", Hawkes commented, coming over to give Gus as hug as she finally managed to stand.

Danny was standing by his wife, not liking the gleam in her eye, knowing full well that it didn't take much to set off Lindsay's baby fever. "Don't even think about it, Montana, we can barely clothe and feed the ones we got", he whispered into his wife's ear.

"I know, I'm just happy for them. And thinking about how they are never going to get a good night of sleep again", Lindsay chuckled.

"Do I have to split you two up?" Gus teased and then stopped to look around, "Where did Mac go?" she asked. Everyone turned, taking note of his quiet disappearance.

Gus surveyed their faces, landing on Stella's and taking note of the twinkle in her eyes and the tightness of one corner of her mouth. "Stella?" Gus questioned.

Stella raised her eyebrows and grinned, heading back to the door to help Mac in.

"Jesus!" Gus exclaimed, seeing Mac struggle with the collapsible stroller/car seat combination.

"I am glad there are so many degrees between you two, too bad one of them isn't in engineering", Mac quipped, trying to right the stroller into the pram position.

"Let a pro show you, Mac", Danny said, flipping a lever with ease and grinning when everything locked into place.

Mac looked at the younger man slightly stunned while Danny and Flack exchanged a smirk.

Hawkes shook his head, "I think they are waiting for us at Sullivan's".

"Right behind you, Shelly", Gus replied, grinning from ear to ear as she went around the place giving everyone a tight squeeze.

"Oof, quite a kicker you got there, Gus", Danny remarked, his solar plexus aching.

"Serves you right for showing up Mac, Messer", Gus replied dryly.

"God help you if that kid takes after your wife, Adam", Danny shot back, punching Adam on the arm.

"Ow!"Adam exclaimed, rubbing at the spot.

"Could we keep the violence out of the nursery?" Stella asked.

"At least until the kid start teething, and then all bets are off", Flack interjected.


	16. Baby Daddy

Gus lowered herself into the bath that Adam had drawn for her, sighing as the bubbles settled around her before furrowing her forehead in irritation. "Uh, hon?"

"What up?" Adam called from the living room, pausing his video game.

"Did you forget the knob marked 'H' for hot?" Gus could hear Adam's slight sigh as he padded in her direction. She inwardly winced, hating the complete bitch she could be and hoping most of that would go away once the squirt was born or that she could at least keep it at work.

Adam leaned in the doorway, running a hand this his curls, trying not to laugh at the sight before him. It is not cool to laugh at your very pregnant wife, dude, even if she does look hilarious with her belly coming out of the bubbles, that is your kid in there.

"Adam?" Gus asked again, waiting for him to say something instead of just leaning there with his jaw clenched.

Adam shook his head. "Sorry babe, no hot baths for you, close to body temperature as possible".

Gus sighed, trying to get comfortable and not slop too much water over the side. "Then where is the fun in that? What is the point really?"

Adam couldn't hold back a laugh this time.

"Did you just laugh at me?" Gus asked, sloshing around in the bubbles.

Adam smiled as he stepped closer, "I value my life to do anything as stupid as that". He leaned in for a kiss, his eyes widening as Gus pulled him down and into the bubbles.

"Don't ever lie to me, Adam Ross, or I will sic Flack on you, I swear to God".

Adam nodded and gulped, but slipped on a puddle and knocked his shin on the side of the tub before landing headfirst into the lukewarm water.

It was now Gus' turn to laugh, "That's what you get, sugar, for laughing at a pregnant woman", she drawled before hauling him out of the water for a kiss.

***

The nightmares plagued her every night, different from the ones that haunted her when working particularly horrible cases. These nightmares involved her water breaking in an empty lab or squad room, or losing the baby while out at a crime scene. Adam listened to her whimpering, when he wasn't pulling extra shifts at the lab, wishing there was something he could to do soothe her.

"I'm just being stupid", she say waking up with tears on her cheeks.

"It's normal", Adam replied, looking down at her with concern.

"Nothing about this is normal, I don't care what the books say", Gus answered with a wry grin, rubbing at her swollen stomach.

"I love both of your abnormal selves", Adam countered, kissing her belly.

"Hardy har", Gus said, settling against him as close to comfortable as she could get, her back throbbing in constant pain.

***

Gus felt on edge all day, having slept little the night before thanks to Squirt starting a Conga line on all of her internal organs, and was desperately craving the caffeine she couldn't have. "I am trying to not hate you", she said to her belly, pacing back and forth in front of her desk as she wondered what fun Flack was having out in the field. An answer quickly arrived as his tall form entered the precinct, a struggling and angry adolescent girl in tow.

"Hands off, asshole, I'll sue, rape rape!"

"Shut your mouth, Tayvia, before I shut it for you", said a weary older woman following behind them.

"Fun morning?" Gus asked Flack with a grin.

"You know it, sunshine", he dimpled back before depositing the angry adolescent in one of the interview rooms. "Detective, could you get Mrs. Jones a cup of coffee?" Flack asked, gesturing toward the woman standing with a clenched jaw and a look of profound sadness.

"If only you knew how mean that was", Gus muttered, "this way Mrs. Jones".

"Girl hasn't been anything but trouble since her mother left, and there is no way I can get through to her. Knows everything about everything and ain't gonna listen to no old woman like me", Mrs. Jones lamented while clutching the coffee cup Gus was eying with something akin to lust. "You one of them pregnant woman, don't let yourself have nothing?" Mrs. Jones said, jerking her chin toward Gus abdomen.

"Overprotective doctor, husband, and partner, I don't have a choice", Gus chortled.

"I won't tell", Mrs. Jones said, waving her hand at the coffee pot.

Gus quickly gave in, though she did pour enough milk in the coffee to make it more of an au lait.

"So that tall one, he the daddy?" Mrs. Jones asked as she sipped on her coffee and tried to not make a face.

"Flack, good lord no! He's my partner, has been since I came to the city."

The wizened woman nodded, "I see. Too bad, he would make some fine looking babies."

Gus snorted. "Yeah, I suppose he will."

"So what about the daddy, you said husband, that's good."

"Yeah, he's great. He works up in the Crime Lab, has a really long official title, but I call him my head lab rat." Gus could feel the grin spreading across her face as she rubbed at her bump.

"Too many women having babies without husbands to be daddies, glad you got you a good one. Like my poor Tayvia, if her momma would had more sense to keep her legs together. God bless that child, I do love her, her momma too, but they are both gonna be the death of me. Tayvia's mother is off on Rikers, now it looks like Tayvia's going there too."

"What happened?" Gus asked, leaning towards the woman, feeling a sudden sense of sadness wash over her.

"Got mixed up with a bad crowd, got in a fight over some good for nothing boy, one of her little friends ended up dead in the courtyard." Mrs. Jones seemed matter of fact, like she had expected some such fate would befall her granddaughter.

"Do you think Tayva killed her?" Gus asked, not sure she wanted an answer.

Mrs. Jones shrugged, "Who knows, children killing children over the dumbest things these days. I am too old to be raising any more kids." Mrs. Jones stoney exterior cracked a little then and her eyes welled up.

"How about I go see how Detective Flack and Tayvia are doing?" Mrs. Jones nodded and wiped at her eyes with a carefully ironed handkerchief.

***

Gus waddled over to interrogation, letting herself in the room where Flack, Tayvia, and the uniformed female officer were. She gestured that it was fine for the uniform to leave.

Flack was turning a crime scene photograph around so Tayvia could see it. "So what I know is that your friend ended up dead in the courtyard of your building after you had a fight with her, and your print was found on the knife. You are to explain that, Tayvia?" Flack was struggling to keep his sarcasm in check, Gus could tell.

Tayvia's former tough cookie facade had crumbled and she was sobbing hysterically. "I didn't...didn't do it. Mikaylah was my only friend, she understood what it was like to want to get out of here, to want to have a different life. Everyone else just wants a baller or to have a baby, I want to go to college, be a writer."

At least Gus assumed that was what she was saying, she couldn't entirely hear her between the sobs and hiccups. Flack shot Gus a look. Gus sat down next to Tayvia. "OK, we hear you, but you have to explain to us how your print got on the knife found in your friend's back."

Tayvia sobbed louder. Flack loosened his tie, looking uncomfortable. "How about we take a break?" Gus suggested.

Tayvia continued wailing, but subsided long enough to nod and hiccup out, "I gotta pee."

Flack rolled his eyes. "I got her, I could go myself." Gus hoisted herself up and led Tayvia by the arm to the bathroom.

Gus struggled to fit into the tiny stall, listening as Tayvia did her business. She had a hard time maneuvering and trying to get the stall door closed. Finally she was able to relieve herself and exited the stall and washed her hands.

"Hey Tayvia, shake a leg, would ya." Gus knocked gently on the stall door. Her stomach flipped when she realized she didn't hear anything, but she could plainly see Tayvia's feet.

"Damnit", she swore, realizing she wasn't capable of getting down on the floor to check under the stall. She took a deep breath and stepped back, mustering the strength to kick in the door to the stall. Luckily the locks were shoddy enough to give right away.

"Shit!" Gus exclaimed as she took in Tayvia on the toilet with her belt wrapped around her neck. Flack hadn't taken the belt because Tayvia hadn't been put in lock up, or even formally booked.

"Come on, girl, not today, can you not seem I am fourteen months pregnant!" Gus worked to haul the girl off the toilet and get the belt off her neck. She felt a pulse, but Tayvia was not breathing on her own. Gus quickly started chest compressions, while sending Flack a 911 page. Gus continued with CPR as Flack burst in to the restroom.

"What the-", he exclaimed.

"My thoughts exactly." Gus shot back as she straddled Tayvia. "Tried to hang herself with her belt and the purse hook in the stall."

Flack called in for a bus and took over CPR. "You are going to breathe, damn it!" He swore as he pounded away are her chest.

Quickly enough, Paramedics came rushing in to the bathroom and Flack got them up to speed. Tayvia gave out a choking sound as she started to breathe on her own. The Paramedics loaded her up onto the gurney and started oxygen. Looky-lous crowded in from the hallway and they had to fight to make a hole.

Gus remained prone on the floor, her back against the tile wall, breathing heavy.

Flack put out a hand to help her up. "Don't worry about it, we did have reason to take her belt. I'll handle the paperwork."

Gus continued to try to suck down oxygen and ignored Flack's outstretched hand.

"You alright, sunshine?" His brow furrowed with concern, her color wasn't so great.

Gus nodded, struggling to speak. "Yeah, I think so, but we may need to think about heading to the hospital ourselves, because my water broke when I was giving her CPR."

* * *

_A/N: So a lost "treasure" found, though I am not sure if I am back yet or not._


	17. Showtime

Flack's eyes went wider for a moment, but his action oriented demeanor quickly took over. "Go time, huh?" he said as he all but picked Gus up off the tile.

She nodded unable to muster even a tease at Flack's phrasing. She stood carefully, shivering and jaw clenched as another contraction rippled through her body.

"I'll go get a car and call Adam, tell him to meet us at the Center." Gus simply nodded again, trying to remember all the doula had told her about breathing through the pain.

Flack intercepted Gus as she headed toward the locker rooms. "Car is this way, sunshine. SUV actually, figured it was more Brooklyn birthing style, though why were are having to go to another borough for you to pop that kid out is beyond me." He attempted to lead Gus by her elbow toward the exit, but she yanked the other way, her belly mass nearly toppling them both.

"I am going to the locker room to change, Flack, hanging out like I wet myself is not the funnest thing ever. And I doubt it would be a joy to clean either". Her words were forced through clenched teeth.

Flack's eyebrows knitted as he yelped, "change? You are going to change? You are in labor!"

"Just page it over the PA, why don't you? Shut up and wait here!" Flack knew there was no changing her mind, Gus was even more stubborn than he was, something he didn't think was possible, not to mention he would have to answer to both her and his wife if he pissed her off to badly while she was in labor.

* * *

Gus peeled her clothes off with disgust, throwing them in the trash. She showered as quickly as she could given the rest of her water breaking, disgusted by something she knew was natural and normal but still gross nonetheless. Toweling off, she carefully struggled into sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt, wishing she could be like the yummy mommies that dotted the landscape of the OB and the birthing center in their adorable performance fleece track suits or, even worse, the ones still in sundresses and kitten heels. Gus smirked at her belly, patting it as she exclaimed, "Jesus, squirt, glad you are going to be out soon, you have me thinking crazy things!"

Gus exited the locker room feeling a bit more in control, thanks to her breathing and remembering to stay centered. Prenatal yoga had done wonders for her patience, even if others had yet to see the benefits.

Flack studied her carefully as she came out. "How you doing?" he asked with hesitation.

Gus chewed on her lip as she answered. "Better, shower helped, had to remember to breath."

"Good, good." Flack nodded, unsure how to proceed as he looked up from his phone. "Um, so Adam is not answering and is apparently out in the field with Danny, but traffic looks good on both 278 and 478, so looks like you get decide bridge or tunnel."

Gus brought up the traffic map on her own phone, studying it carefully. "Bridge, definitely the bridge, they have all those road maintenance projects going on in the tunnel and they won't care even if we are running lights and sirens, not that we need to, contractions are still like fifteen minutes apart, which means we could even take the Manhattan bridge and avoid all the lookey-loo tourists and hit up Flatbush Ave." Gus took a moment to let everything Flack had said to her sink in, her head shot up. "Did you say in the field? What is Adam doing in the field?"

"Officer involved shooting over by Washington Square, apparently involved some spoiled NYU kid, all hands on deck. Flatbush, huh, aren't you worried about all the road closures over by Atlantic?"

"You two planning on invading Brooklyn?" Parker asked coming down the hallway. He looked the two partners up and down. Flack was in his usual stylish suit, but his tie was askew and he looked rumpled. Broussard looked more like something the cat dragged in, her wet hair hastily pulled back and still unruly and her most casual wear was deeply wrinkled and strained around her very pregnant form.

"Heard you two had an interesting morning, maybe you want to take some time to rest before your next round of crime fighting." Parker smirked at them both, "And Flack, how about you get your wife to take Gus shopping for some of them maternity clothes."

Flack clamped a hand down on Gus' shoulder, seeing her calmness evaporate and knowing no amount of breathing would stop what she was about to release, but also knowing Parker meant well, he always had had a soft spot for the pretty, blond detective. "Won't be necessary, Parker, but thanks", he replied, shoving Gus behind him and toward the doors.

"Take some lost time, then, both of you, I'll take care of Loo, paperwork can wait".

"Thanks, Parker", Flack called behind him, herding Gus outside.

* * *

"Take Flatbush, sure thing, sunshine." Flack honked the horn once again at the traffic stopped in front of them.

"Honking is not helping, in case you hadn't noticed," Gus shot back, working on counting backwards in threes while attempting to relocate her inner zen and avoid the massive urge she had to pee.

"Well neither did the lights and sirens", Flack sighed in frustration, yanking off his tie. Spring had sprung, and was actually feeling more like summer. He was already dreading the hot and humid months to come, the kind of heat that made an already crazy city even more restless. But his partner seemed to relish the kind of heat usually found in hell and still appeared to be shivering in the seat next to him.

"Remind me why we are headed away from ten great hospitals in the city to Brooklyn again, especially since you hate Brooklyn," Flack inquired as he looked at the readout on the incoming text from Danny.

"Because I hate hospitals more than I hate Brooklyn, and I don't hate Brooklyn, I despise Park Slope and changing babies on table in bars and hipsters with trust funds. If they would have built the birthing center on 7th like they were supposed to, I wouldn't be trekking out half way to Brighton Beach."

"Oh this is gonna be good", he smirked at Gus dug out her ringing phone from her tote.

"Hey babe!" Gus answered her phone with more cheer than a woman in labor should. Flack couldn't help but notice how her entire demeanor changed when talking to Adam. A lot of people, himself sometimes included, couldn't always figure out how those two had gotten together, but they really did make a perfect match and had the amazing ability to cocoon themselves into their own bubble.

"You're where?" Gus' voice went up in pitch, Flack snickered as he texted back to Danny, 'showtime'.

"Oh, Adam, how? No, it's fine, I mean it will be fine. We're stuck in traffic anyhow. Nope, still 12 minutes apart, and you know I don't want to be hanging out any longer than I need to be. Though I may end up just walking the rest of the way if Flack. Doesn't. Stop. Honking." She shot Flack a death stare until he jerked his hand away from the wheel.

"Sorry", he whimpered.

"Yeah, I'll take it easy, I know, I know it isn't good for Squirt. No, Adam, I'm not mad at you, I just can't believe you managed to lock yourself on the room of an NYU dorm. Actually, I can believe it, but it still sucks."

Flack tried to not listen in to the conversation happening inches away from him, but he was actually intrigued that Gus hadn't flown off the handle. He had predicted such a reaction when Danny first sent him the text after the metal hatch to the dorm slammed shut at an impossible angle in a gust of wind as Adam and Danny had went to look for shell casings.

Gus' voice had caught slightly in her throat. "I know you didn't do it on purpose, sugar, I'm not blaming you, but Squirt is coming whether you are there or not and...I'm just a little scared, peanut". Gus had turned her face to the window, away from Flack, embarrassed at her both her vulnerability and fear.

Flack was stunned at Gus' admittance and patted her shoulder as she sniffed back tears. "Give me the phone, sunshine", he said gently. "Only you, Ross". Flack grinned into the phone, letting Gus have a moment to collect herself. "Don't freak out on me, man, you're gonna have to deal with her, I don't do Broussard tears and you know it. Calm down, Danny already contacted F&R and they will have your pried out of there in a jiffy. You both will be mocked for months, mind you, but if you take the Interstate, you'll be at the Center before we are. Stay cool, see you soon, buddy." Flack handed the phone back to Gus, who looked at it meekly as she brushed away the final tears. Flack handed her his handkerchief without a word.

"Thanks," she replied as she dabbed at her face.

"Still at 12 minutes?" he asked after her body seized up in another contraction.

Gus replied through a jaw clenched so tight Flack thought she was about to crack a tooth. "More like 8."

"So you lied to your husband?" Flack said in mock astonishment.

Gus rid out the contraction for a painfully long minute before answering. "I didn't want to freak him out anymore. Danny was already being punishment enough, and I could already hear the fireboys in the background starting up the jaws." Gus felt another wave of emotion and fear creep up on her. "This sucks", she remarked at the traffic and the situation.

"Yeah, it does," Flack replied, flipping on the lights and sirens and honking the horn. "Screw this, we got a baby waiting to be born!" He deftly maneuvered the SUV around traffic, hoping the curb to do so.

"Jesus, Flack, it really won't take much for me to wet myself!" Gus exclaimed holding on to the grip bar.

"That is about to be the least of your worries," he replied as he watched another contraction grip her.


	18. Complete

"This is bullshit, complete and utter bullshit". Gus had tacked on a few more choice words to the woman who was trying to inform Flack he couldn't park in front of the birthing center, but they were lost in the din of the road construction around them.

Flack took over as Gus fought off another wave of excruciating pain. "Look lady, I know this is supposed to be all calm and zen and whatever other coo-coo for coco puffs stuff you have going on in there, but I am a cop, this is a police vehicle and this is my partner, who I am pretty sure is about to pop out a kid in the front seat and I am not going to explain that one to the boys in the vehicle pool, so how about you go get us a wheelchair and let me worry about the Brooklyn Parking Department."

Flack stared the woman down with a flinty glare until she gaped at the air like a fish out of water before saying, "We don't believe in wheelchairs here at the center, having a baby is not a disability".

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Flack exclaimed to Gus as he helped her prone form out of the SUV.

"I am sorry, Miss, did you not brief your partner on the procedures we have in place here?" the woman asked as Flack bustled Gus in past her. The woman followed hot on their heels as yet another woman who looked more like she should be doing downward dog than birthing children breezed up to them.

"Welcome, namaste, my name is Nesha and I will be one of the guides assisting you on your birthing journey."

Flack was torn between amusement and horror. "Birthing journey, Gus, are you sure about this? There is a real hospital right down the street."

"I see we have a traditionally based male caregiver present. Sir, I can assure you that we are well equipped to assist your partner in her journey and that your progeny will be in the best of hands."

"Would you care to rephrase that in non-hippy dippy moonbeam speak?" Flack asked, turning Gus back toward the door, wondering if Gus and Adam had been under the influence of something when they had chosen this place to have their kid.

"We may need to code green this one, Nesha," the other woman interjected as she placed herself between Flack, Gus, and the door.

"Sir, if I could have you step over into our orientation room, and perhaps one of our coaches can reacquaint you with the center's philosophy?" Nesha remained serene, but pushed a button under the counter, lighting a green light.

"I am not leaving, and you better not be about to ask us if we would like any kool-aid."

Gus finally caught her breath after her extremely long and painful contraction. "Stop it, stop it all of you!" She drew herself up to her full height, her cheeks flushed and her eyes flashing an angry green. "My name is Augusta Broussard, and this is Don Flack, my work partner, not my life partner, who is on his way. We are clients of Dr. Sabrina White's and our doula is Megan Carstens. If you would kindly page both of them I would appreciate it because my best guess is I am pretty freaking close to having this baby and I would like to at least get to a suite before I do!"

Her composure broke at the end, despite her assured speech. Emotions raced through her like an inferno, alongside pain and another contraction. She nearly collapsed to the floor, but Flack had not moved away from her side and held her up.

The combative woman rushed toward them but Gus shooed her away as Nesha busily alerted the doctor and doula to Gus' arrival. Gus was trying to hold back tears of frustration and pain when a familiar and welcome sight appeared through the doors.

"Gussie!" Adam rushed to her, encircling her back with his arm and immediately working with her on breathing and walking her down the hallway.

Flack stepped back, toward Danny who was right on Adam's heels. Danny rubbed at his face, taking in the scene. "So she didn't pop the kid out on the highway, that's good, means I lost the pool though."

"Me too." Flack said with a smirk.

"Can you believe this joint?" Danny said looking around at what looked more like a spa than a place to give birth.

Flack nodded in agreement, "I know, doesn't seem right, does it?"

"I would have expected Gus to more be the knock me out and wake me when the kid is six kind of gal." Danny shook his head, happy that Lindsay had gone a more conventional route with no major complications with their brood. "Guess we should call the gang, huh?"

* * *

"I am so sorry, Gus, I don't know what happened on the roof, one minute we were all good, picking up casings and then this gust of wind and bam!" Adam chattered nervously as he supported her on the birthing ball.

"It's fine, peanut, you got here in time, all's good, mostly". Gus' reply was punctuated with rapid breaths.

"You're doing great, Augusta!" The doula added a calming presence to the room, which was needed considering how anxious Adam always was and how quick tempered Gus was. The doctor had been alerted, and was on her way, but it remained to be seen if she would make it in time or if she would even be needed. "Would you like to try the tub?" Megan asked, showing Adam how to rub Gus' back. Gus she her head, working on breathing and rocking back and forth.

"No, I don't want a water birth, we aren't freaking hip-" she broke off, partially because of a contraction and partially because she knew what she was signing up for when they had chosen the center over a hospital.

"I did read your birth plan, but sometimes in the moment, things can change."

"Yes, like I am beginning to wonder why I decided doing this without drugs was a good idea!" Gus yelped at the pain, breathing not helping as much as it had been.

"I'm going to check on Dr. White's arrival," Megan said excusing herself from the birthing suite.

Adam helped Gus off the ball, cupping her sweaty and flushed face in his hands. "Gus, look at me, you are doing fantastic, because you are amazing at everything you do and you are going to get through this and after it you won't remember any of the pain, because we are going to have a baby. A baby, you and me! And then we are going to have this baby who is going to grow up to be an amazing person because you are going to be an amazing mother."

The tenderness in Adam's touch, the love in his eyes, the adulation in his words was enough to stop the world for Gus, and mostly enough to stop the pain. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes. "You really think so, Adam, you think I am going to be an amazing mother?"

Adam nodded, tears of his own shining his eyes. "Positive", he said leaning his forehead against hers.

"OK then," Gus sniffed, "then let's have this baby."

"That's what I like to hear," Dr. White said from the doorway.

Without much assistance needed from either doctor or doula, though with expletives that Flack and Danny (and now Lindsay and Mac) could hear in the "serenity room", Adam and Gus welcomed a very healthy and loud William Henry Ross into the world.

It wasn't long after that the entire gang filled the birthing suite to greet the newest member of the crime lab family, though they were quick to leave the exhausted new parents to their now sleeping infant.

"We made that!" Adam whispered in glee, running his hands through his unruly hair, similar curls adorning little William's head.

"We sure did, now I hope we know what the hell to do with him," Gus whispered back, but her face held assurance as she gazed down at the sleeping baby in her arms that her statement did not.

"We'll figure it out, mostly, we have a lot of support. And the internet." Adam cracked a smile on the bed beside her, wrapping his arm around her, careful to not wake William.

"And a whole lot of love," Gus said, relaxing back into Adam, feeling as though the world was finally right. Adam agreed, feeling a completeness he hadn't ever experienced before.

* * *

_A/N: So I figured a little Mother's Day treat was in order. Now, my muse can't figure out if this one should continue...I have a feeling What It Means and The Saints Aren't Coming are about to get more attention. Not to mention the ever ruminating Stella in NOLA story!_


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